primrose Jfamil^. 



Spike Loosestrife. Lysimachia striata. 



Pound in moist lands and fields, in July. 



The stalk, from 12 to 18 inches in height, is branching near the 

 top, leafy, and smooth, but grooved beneath the branches ; it is hollow, 

 and has a stiff fibre ; pale yellow-green. 



The long and narrow oval leaf is sometimes 2 and 3 inches long 

 and only \ an inch in width ; its texture is thin, its surface very smooth, 

 and the margin entire. The color is a light yellow-green. The leaves 

 clasp the stalk in pairs, which occur at right angles to each other, and 

 are near together. 



The flowers are about half an inch across, otherwise in color and 

 shape exactly resembling L. quadrifolia ; they are set on inch long 

 stems, and arranged in irregular rings about the stalk, forming a notice- 

 able feathery spike, 5 or 6 inches in length. 



The blossoms open first at the bottom of the spike, several rings 

 flowering at one time. The branches occur in pairs, symmetrically. 



412 



