Obdbb 50.— MBLASTOMACE^. 347 



Hon, protected northward by glass. In this way double flowers of great beauty 

 may be produced, f 



2 P. nina L. Shrubby; Ivs. linear-lanceolate, acute. — Native of the W. 

 Indies, where it is used as a hedge plant Shrub 4 to 6f high, with smaUer 

 purple fls., oflien double, f 



Order L. MELASTOMACELE. Mklastomes. 



Treee, shrubs or herhs with square branches, and usually e^ratipulate. Lvi. op- 

 posite, entire and undivided, without dots and. with several veins. Cal. persistent, 

 the tube urceolate, cohering with only the angles of tie ovary. Petals as many aa 

 the segments of the calyx (4 to 6), twisted in aestivation. Stamens twice aa many 

 33 petals, sometimes the same number, inflexed in aestivation. Anthers before 

 flowering contained in the cavity between the calyx and the sides of ovary. Fruit 

 capsular or baccate. 



Genera 118, species 1200. The order Is reijrcsontea In tho U. S. by a single genus, the re- 

 iniiinder bein^ natives chiefly of India and tropical America. No plantof this order is poisonous. 

 A II are slightly astringent. 



RHEX'IA, L. Deer-grass. (Gr. peftf , a rupture ; somo of the 

 species are good vulneraries.) Calyx 4-cleft, swelling at the base ; 

 petals 4 ; stamens 8, 1-cclled; style declined; capsule 4-celled, nearly 

 free from the investing calyx tube ; placenta; prominent ; seeds nu- 

 merous. — U Lvs. opposite, exstipulate, 3-veined. 



§ Anthers curved, saccate at base, with a bristly appendage at the insertion 



of the filament. — Stem square, winged Kos. 1, 2 



— Stem terete or teretish Nos. 8 — 5 



§ An titers straight, terminal.— Stems simple, with purple ilower.s Nos. 6, T 



— Stem.s brachiate, with yellow flowers No. 8 



1 R. Virgiaioa L. Meadow Beauty. St. square, the angles narrowly winged ; 

 lvs. sessile, oval-lanceolate, ciliato-aerrulate, and with the stem clothed with scattered 

 hairs; cal. hispid. — Grows in wet grounds, Mass. to 111. and La. St. If or more 

 high, often 3-forked above. Lvs. with 3 (rarely 5 or 7) prominent veins, 1 to 3' 

 long, about J aa wide, acute. Fls. large, in oorymbous cymes. Petals bright 

 purple, obovate, hispid beneath, caducous. Anth. long and prominent, crooked, 

 golden yellow above, with a purple line beneath. Sty. somewhat longer than the 

 stamens, a little declined. Jl., Aug. 



2 R. striata Ph. St. tail, with 4 strongly winged angles, glabrous; lvs. ovate- 

 lanceolate, acuminate, setaceously serrate, glabrous, or slightly hispid above; 

 cai. glabrcms, the tube very short. — Bogs around pine barrens, S, Car. to Ala. and 

 Pla. St. 3 to 4f high, slightly bearded at the joints. Lvs. 2 to 3' long. Ma. 

 purple, large and fine. Jn., Jl. 



3 R. Mariina L. St. nearly terete, covered w-ith bristly hairs ; lvs. lanceolate, 

 acute, attenuate at base into a very phort petiole, and, with the calyx clothed with 

 scattered hairs. — In sandy bogs, N. J. to Flor. The whole plant is hispid, even 

 the petals externally. St. 1 to 2f high, slender, and generally with few branches. 

 Lvs. often narrowly oblong, 4 to 6 times longer than wide, serrate-oiliate. Pefaila 

 large, obovate, purple. Jn. — Sept. 



4 R. lanoeolata Walt. St. much branched, hirsute, teretish ; lvs. linear and 

 lance-linear, attenuate to a short petiole, slightly hispid and ciliate ; fls. very pale, 

 in fastigiate cymes ; cal. glabrous. — ^Damp soils, N. Car. to Fla. and La. Sts. 1 



• to 2f high, very leafy, growing in dense patches, with numerous white or pale 

 purple fls. Lvs. 1 or 8 times longer than wide. Jn. — Aug. 



5 R. glabella Ph. Glabrous and somewhat glaucous; st. simple, teretish; Iva. 

 lanceolate ; calyx glandular-hispid. — Damp woods, N. Car. to Pla. and La. St. 

 2 to 3f high, dividing at top into a few peduncles. Lvs. mostly longer than the 

 internodes (1 to 2'), obscurely serrulate, acute, sessile. CaL rather fimnelform 



- above the ovary. Petals pale purple, large, expanding near 2'. Jn. — Aug. 



