200 



RESEDACEAE. 



Vol. II. 



3-6 carpels ; styles or sessile stigmas 3-6 ; ovules 00 . Fruit capsular in all but one 

 genus, 3-6-lobed. Seeds reniform, without endosperm ; cotyledons incumbent. 



Six genera and about 65 species, mainly natives of the Mediterranean region. 



I. RESEDA [Tourn.] L. Sp. PI. 448. 1753. 



Erect or decumbent herbs, with entire lobed or pinnatifid leaves, and small spicate or 

 narrowly racemose flowers. Petals 4-7, toothed or cleft. Disk cup-shaped, glandular. 

 Stamens 8-40, inserted on one side of the flower and on the inner surface of the disk. Cap- 

 sule 3-6-lobed, horned, opening at the top before the seeds mature. [Ancient Latin name, 

 referring to the supposed sedative eff'ects of some of the species.] 



About 55 species, all natives of the Old World. Type species : Reseda lutea L. 



Leaves entire ; upper petals lobed, the lower entire. i. R. Luteola. 

 Leaves lobed or pinnatifid. 



Petals greenish-yellow, 3 or 4 of them divided. 2. R. lutea. 



Petals white, all of them cleft or divided. ■ 3. R. alba. 



I. Reseda Luteola L. Dyer's Rocket. 

 Yellow-weed. Fig. 2120. 



Reseda Luteola L. Sp. PI. 448. 1753. 



Glabrous, erect, simple, or sparingly branched 

 above, i°-2j'' high. Leaves lanceolate or linear, 

 entire, obtuse, sessile or the lowest narrowed into 

 a petiole; flowers greenish-yellow, i"-2" broad, 

 in long narrow spikes; sepals 4; petals 4 or Si 

 very unequal, the upper ones lobed, the lower one 

 linear, entire ; capsule globose, 2"-3" in diameter, 

 with 3 or 4 apical teeth and 6-8 lateral ridges. 



In waste places and in ballast, Massachusetts to 

 New York and Pennsylvania. Mexico. Adventive 

 from Europe. Cultivated for its yellow dye. Sum- 

 mer. Dyer's-weed. Dyer's-mignonette. Weld. Yel- 

 low or Italian rocket. Dutch pink. Wild woad. 



2. Reseda lutea L. 



Reseda lutea L. Sp. PI. 449. 1753. 



Yellow Cut-leaved Mignonette. Fig. 2121. 



Ascending or decumbent, pubescent with short 

 scattered stiff hairs, or nearly glabrous. Leaves 

 2'-4' long, broadly ovate or oblong in outline, deeply 

 lobed or divided, sometimes pinnatifid, their seg- 

 ments linear or oblong, obtuse, the margins undu- 

 late; flowers greenish-yellow, 2"-3" broad, in narrow 

 racemes; pedicels ascending, about 2" long in fruit; 

 petals 6 or 5, all but the lowest irregularly cleft; 

 sepals of the same number; stamens 15-20; capsule 

 oblong, about 4" long, i4"-2" wide, with three or 

 rarely 4 short teeth. 



In waste places, Massachusetts to New Jersey, Penn- 

 sylvania and Michigan, and in ballast about the seaports. 

 Adventive from Europe. Summer. Called also cramb- 

 ling rocket. 



Reseda odorata L., the mignonette of the gardens, has 

 wedge-shaped entire or 3-lobed leaves, and very fragrant 

 flowers with deeply cleft petals. 



