PENTANDRIA— MONOGYNIA. Lysimachia. 277 



101. LYSIMACHIA. Loosestrife. 



Llmi. Gen. S3. Juss.95. Fl.Br.227. Tourn.t.aD. Lam.t.lOl. 

 Gcertn. t. 50. 



Nat. Ord. see n. 100. 



Cal. inferior, of 1 leaf, in 5 deep, spreading, acute segments, 

 permanent. Cor. of 1 petal, wheel-shaped ; tube none ; 

 limb widely expanded, in 5 deep, ovate-oblong segments. 

 Filain. awl-shajied, inserted into the base of the corolla, 

 opposite to each segment. Anth. oblong, notched at each 

 end. Germen roundish. Style thread-shaped, the length 

 of the stamens. Stigma obtuse. Caps, globular, pointed, 

 of ] cell, and 10 valves, sometimes cohering in pairs. 

 Seeds numerous, angular, covering a large, central, orbi- 

 cular, unconnected, pitted receptacle. 



The stamens are, in some instances, connected at their origin. 

 L. Linum-stellatum, see Fl. Grcec. t. 189, has really ten 

 valves to the capsule, though combined in pairs, as in our 

 L. nemorum. The corolla of the former indeed is less 

 deeply 5-cleft than it ought, as Linnaeus remarks, and 

 has really a short tube. 



The whole genus is herbaceous, perennial, less frequently 

 annual. Leaves simple, undivided, entire ; opposite or 

 whorled ; scarcely ever alternate. Fl. scentless, terminal 



' and aggregate, or axillary and solitary, rarely axillary and 

 a^ggregate. Cor. yellow ; in a few white, or flesh-coloured. 



* Stalks many-^ffwered. 



I . L. vulgaris. Great Yellow Loosestrife. 



Clusters panicled, terminal. Leaves ovate-lanceolate, acute. 



L. vulgaris. Linn. Sp. PL 209. fViUd. r. 1 . 81 6. Fl. Br. 227. Engl. 



Bot. v.W.t. 761. Curt. Lond.fasc.5. 1. 19. Hook. Scot. 72. Fl. 



Dan. t. 689. Bull. Fr. t.347. 

 L. n. 630. Hall.Hisf. v. 1.278. 

 L. lutca. Rail Syn. 282. Ger. Em. 474. f. 

 Lysimachia. Matth. Valgr. v. 2.298. f. Camer. Epit.686.f. 



In watery shady places, and reedy margins of rivers. 



Perennial. July. 



Root creeping. Stems 3 or 4 feet high, erect, leafy, with 4 or more 

 angles, according as the leaves are 2 or more together j simple, 



• except at the top, wliere each terminates in a copious panicle of 

 handsome yeWowJlowers, whose corymbose clusters are partly 

 axillary, partly terminal ; their talks awl-shapcd bracteas, and 



