ITEACE.E— VIRGINIA WILLOW FAMILY 



ITEA. VIRGINIA WILLOW 



Itea virginica. 



Itea, the Greek name for willow ; because the leaves of this 

 plant resemble those of the willow. 



A stalwart shrub, four to ten feet high, growing in wet places ; 

 twigs and inflorescence downy. Ranges from the pine-barrens 

 of New Jersey to Florida, and west to Missouri and Louisiana. 



Leaves. — Alternate, simple, one to three inches long, nar- 

 rowly oval or oblanceolate, wedge-shaped at base, finely serrate, 

 acute or acuminate at apex ; when full grown, bright green, 

 smooth above, slightly hairy beneath ; midvein and primary 

 veins depressed above, prominent beneath. Autumnal tints scar- 

 let and crimson. 



Floiiiers. — May, June. Perfect, white, borne in dense termi- 

 nal racemes, two to six inches long. Pedicels short, downy. 



Calyx. — Calyx-tube bell-shaped, five-lobed, base adherent to 

 the ovary. 



Corolla. — Petals five, white, linear, erect or slightly spreading, 

 three-eighths of an inch long, the points indexed, inserted on the 

 disk that lines the calyx. 



Stamens. — Five, inserted with the petals. 



Pistil. — Ovary one, two-celled ; style slender ; stigma two- 

 grooved ; ovules many. 



Fruit. — Capsule two-grooved, oblong, slender, downy, many- 

 seeded, tipped with the two-parted style. 



Itea Virginica is coming into cultivation in parks 

 and gardens. The flowers are white, borne in terminal 



as; 



