DODECANDRIA— MONOGYNIA. Lythrum. Si3 



may have been naturalized in some other parts^ where it occa- 

 sionally occurs. 



Perennial. May. 



Roots creeping, entangled, with numerous, branching, stout fibres; 

 their scent when bruised very peculiar, partaking of pepper and 

 ginger ; and they are said to be purgative, as well as emetic. 

 Stems very short and simple, round, each bearing two dark 

 green, shining, kidney-shaped, rather downy, leaves, two inches 

 wide, on long downy stalks, and one drooping ^flower, not an 

 inch long, fleshy in substance, of a lurid and singular aspect. 

 The powdered leaves are used to provoke sneezing ; a few grains 

 at a time may be safely taken, and they produce a considerable 

 discharge of fluid by the nostrils. The herb increases plenti- 

 fully by seed, without any care, as well as by root, in dry shady 

 situations. 



246. LYTHRUM. Purple Loosestrife. 



Linn. Gen. 240. Juss. 332. Fl. Br. 509. Lam. t. 408. Gtprtti. 



t. 62. 

 Salicaria. Tourn.t. 129. 



Nat. Ord. Calycanthemce. Liiin. 17. Salicaria;. Juss. 91. 



Cal. inferior, of 1 leaf, cylindrical, striated, With 12 mar- 

 ginal teeth, alternately larger and smaller. Pet. 6, ellip- 

 tic-oblo7ig, equal, wavy, with short claws, inserted into 

 the rim of the calyx, spreading. Filam. 12, thread- 

 shaped, from the tube of the calyx, shorter than the co- 

 rolla, the 6 alternate ones shortest, and sometimes want- 

 ing; all incurved while young. Anth. roundish, incum- 

 bent. G^rw. superior, ovate oblong. 5/j/fe thread-shaped, 

 about as long as the longest stamens, a little curved. Stig- 

 ma capitate. Caps, inclosed in the tube of the calyx, ob- 

 long, membranous, pointed, of 2 cells. Seeds numerous, 

 minute, obovate-oblong. 



Herbs with simple, entire, oblong leaves^ square stems, and 

 purple, axillary, nearly sessile ^ow^rs. 



Some species have occasionally, or constantly, flowers with 

 but 5 petals and 10 stamens. In others, half the stamens 

 are abortive, or entirely absent. Several plants referred 

 by Linnaeus to Lythrum are now properly excluded ; 

 especially those with irregular ^ower^, constituting the 

 CupJiea of Jacquin, a fine South- American genus. 



1. L. Salicaria. Spiked Purple-Loosestrife. 

 Leaves opposite, lanceolate; heart-shaped at the base. 

 Flowers in whorled leafy spikes. Stamens twelve. 



