Order 18.— HYPEEICACE^. 247 



persistent; petals mostly oblique or oonyolute in the bud; stoJieres few or many, 



polyadelphous ; anthers versatile ; ovary compound, with styles united or separate, 



becoming in fruit a 1-celled capsule with parietal placenta;, or 3 to 5-celled when 



the dissepiments reach the center. Seeds exalbuminous, minute. (Illustrations in 



Fig. 69, 278, 389, 390.) 



ffmera 15, species 276, vci-y genernlly distribnted, presenting a great variety of habit, anil 

 nourishing in all kinds of localitioa. The julco of many spoeies is considered purgative and 

 febrifugal. 



OENERA.. 



Sepals 4. Petals 4, obliqnc, yellow Ascyeum 1 



Bcpalsd. Petals 5, — oblique, yellow ! HypKEifiuM 2 



— equilateral, purplish Elodea 3 



i. ASCtRUM, L. St. Pktbr's Wort. (Etymology uncertain.) Sep- 

 als 4, the two outer usually very large and foliaceous ; petals 4, oblique, 

 convolute ; filaments slightly united at base into several parcels ; stylos 

 2 — 4, mostly distinct; capsule 1-cellcd. — Plants suffruticous. Lvs. 

 punctate with black dots. Fls. pala yellow 1 or 3 terminating each 

 branch. Pedicels bibracteolate. 



The outer pair of sepals — very largo, ovate. Styles 1 or 2 Nos. 1, 2 



—still larger, orbicular. Styles 3 Nos. 8, 4 



—small, like the two inner. Styles 3 No. 5 



1 A. Crux-Andreae L. St. Andrew's Cross. Branches many, suberect, an- 

 cipitai dlm^ ; lvs. linear-oblong, obtuse ; outer sep. twice longer than the pedicel ; 2 

 bracteole^ little below the flower.'-Sa.-aiy woods, K. J. to G-a. and La. Sta. 1 to 

 2f high, with brown, scaly bark below. Lvs. 6 to 1 2" long, minutely dotted, 

 sessile, smaller ones axiUary. Cymes leafy. The persistent, ovate sepals closo 

 iifter flowering. Jn., Jl. 



/3 ANonsTiFoLiA Nutt. Lv3. oblong-linear,, crowded; outer sepals acute, the 

 two bracteoles close to the flower. — -Car. and Ga. (Feay.) Looks very differ- 

 ent from a, from the smallness of its numerous lvs., which are 3 to 6" long, 

 1' wide. 



2 A. piimiluin Mx. Low, trailing at base ; lvs. oval and obovate, obtuse, sessile ; 

 outer sepals slwrter than the slender pedicel, inner sepal ; bracteoles 0. — Ga. and 

 J'la., in dry, piny barrens. Much branched, branches a few inches long. Lvs. 

 about 3" by 2," oilen smaller. Cymes exserted, the pedicels 6 to 10" long. 

 Pet. rather larger than the sepals. 



3 A. stdns Mx. St. erect, ancipital; lvs. o6?o?ig,sess»fe, and half-clagping, obtuse; 

 caps, ovate, acute. — Swamps in pine barrens, N. J. to Fla. and La. Sts. 1 to 3f 

 high, straight, winged throughout, branched above, usually simple at base and 

 shaggy with loose bark. Lvs. 10 to 15" long, J as wide. Outer sepals orbicular, 

 Bubcordate, 6" diam., inner lauce-Iinear. Petals unequal, ovate, acute, a little 

 longer than the sepals,. Sty. 3, distinct, short. Jn. — Aug. 



4 A. amplexicaule Mx. St. erect, terete below; lvs. broadly ovate, cordate, 

 clasping; caps, oblong. — Ga. and Fla. Sts. 1 to 2f high, dichotonously branched 

 above, branches somewhat 2-edged. Lvs. 8 to 12" long, f as broad. Outer 

 sepals nearly round, B'' broad, the petals J longer. 



5 A. miorosepalum Torr. and Gr. Bushy ; st. scarcely edged ; lvs. oblong and 

 oblong-linear, crowded ; sep. oblong-linear, much shorter than the obovato, un- 

 equal petals; sty. 3, long, distinct. — Ga. and Fla. Very different in aspect from 

 the others, with crooked, stragglmg stems. Lvs. 2 to 4" long, 1" wide (in a 

 variety twice as large). Pedicels longer than the calyx. Fls. 9" broad. Sty. 

 filiform, as long as the oblong capsule. May. 



2. HYPERICUM, L. St. John's-woet. (Derivation unknown.) 

 Sepals 5, connected at base, subequal, leaf-like ; petals 5, oblique ; 

 stamens Co (sometimes few), mo.stly united at base into 3 — 5 parcels. 



