ORPINE FAMILY. 137 



11. ASTILBE. (Name means not shining.) Also called HoteIa, after a 

 Japanese botanist. Fl. summer, y 



A. decandra. Rich woods along the AUeghanies from Virginia S. : a tall, 

 rather pnhescent herb, 3° - 5° high, imitating Spirajii Aruncus (p. 121 ) in ap- 

 pearance, but coarser ; leaflets of the decompound leaves mostly heart-sliaped, 

 cut toothed (2' -4' long) ; flowers greenish-white, with inconspicuous petals. 



A. Japouica, or Hoteia Japonica. Cult, from Japan for- ornament : 

 only 1° - 2° high, witli leaflets of the thrice-ternato leaves lance-ovate or oblong, 

 and crowded white flowers of considerable beauty. 



12. TIAKELLA, FALSE MITREWORT. (Diminutive of tiara, a tur- 

 ban ; name not very appropriate. ) IJi 



T. eordifolia, our only species, in rocky woods, especially N. : a low and 

 hairy herb, spreading by summer leafy runners ; leaves rounded heart-shajjed, 

 shai-ply lobed and toothed ; flowers in a short raceme on a leafless scape, bright 

 white, in spring.. 



13. MITELLA, MITREWORT, BISHOP'S-CAP. (Name means a lit- 

 tle mitre, from the shape of the 2-cleft ovary and young pod.) Delicate plants 

 of moist woods, especially N., spreading by summer leafy runners or root- 

 stocks : fl. late spring and early summer, y. 



M. diph^lla, Common or Two-leaved M. Hairy, with rounded heart- 

 shaped and somewhat 3 - 5-lobed root-leaves on slender petioles, and a pair of 

 opposite nearly sessile leaves on the scape below the slender raceme of many 

 white flowers. 



M. udda, Naked-stalked M. Mossy woods N. : a delicate little plant, 

 with roundish kidney-shaped doubly crenate leaves, and leafless scape (4' - 6' 

 high) bearing a few greenish blossoms. 



14. CHRYSOSPLENIUM, GOLDEN SAXIFRAGE. (Name in 

 Greek means j'o/cfen s;)/ecn. ) Fl. spring. ^ 



C. Americ^uum, our only species, in springs or shady wet jilaces N. : 

 a low and delicate smooth herb, with spreading reijeatedly forked stems, tender 

 succulent small leaves, which ilre roundish, obscurely crenate-lobed, and mainly 

 opposite ; the inconspicuous greenish flowers nearly sessile in the forks. 



41. CRASSULACE-ffi!, ORPINE FAMILY. 



Succulent plants, differing from the Saxifrage Family mainly in 

 the complete symmetry of the flowers, the sepals, petals, stamens, 

 and pistils equal in number, or the stamens of just double the num- 

 ber ; the pistils all separate and forming as many (mostly many- 

 seeded) little pods, except in Penthorum, where -they are united 

 together. (Lessons, p. 86, fig. 168-171.) Penthorum, which is 

 not succulent, is just intermediate between Ihis family and the- fore- 

 going. Several are monopetalous, i. e. have their petals united 

 below into a cup or tube. 



§ 1. Leaves not at nil fleshy, but thin and memhrn'nnceoiis : the 5 ovaries united into 

 one i-hoTTUid b-cetled pod; no si ah-s behind the ovaries. 



1. PENTHORUM. Sepais 5. Petals 6, small, or usually none. Stamens 10. 



Pod opening by the falling away of the 6 beaks, many-seeded. Karely the 

 parts are in sixes or sevens. 



§ 2. Leaves thickened and succulent : ovaries separate, a minute scale behind each. 

 * Petals separate : sepals nearly so or united at the base. 



2. SEMPERVIVUM.. Sepals, narrow petals, and pistils 6-12 or even more, and 



stamens twice as many. Plants usually multiplying by leafv offsets, on 

 which the leaves are crowded in close tufts like rosettes. 

 S&F— 17 



