660 GBNTIANACEAE ( GENTIAN FAMILY) 



ligneous base, with numerous mostly opposite orsubopposite subulate scales 

 below ; the branches or peduncles chiefly opposite, 1-few-flowered ; flowers yel- 

 lowish-white ; corolla-lobes oblong, commonly denticulate, obtusish to rounded 

 at the apex ; stigma columnar, about 1 mm. long. (B. tenella Muhl.) — Sandy 

 or boggy places, N. S. to Minn., and southw. July-Sept. 



* * Corolla-lobes lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, acute or acutish, essentially 



entire. 



3. B. panicul2lta (Michx.) Robinson. Tall and very slender, 2-4 dm. high, 

 more apt to be irregularly and paniculately branched above, but mostly simple 

 at the base ; branches and leaf-scales often alternate ; the peduncles curved- 

 ascending ; flowers 2-4(-5) mm. long; corolla-lobes lanceolate, acute, yellow- 

 ish- or greenish-white, about twice as long as the narrowly lanceolate calyx-lobes ; 

 stigma short, scarcely columnar, 0.6 mm. in length ; anthers yellow. (B. lance- 

 olata Small ; Centaurella paniculata Michx. ; C. Moseri Steud. & Hoohstettet-) 

 — Wet sandy woods, swamps, etc., e. Mass. to Fla. and La. Aug. -Oct. 



4. B. iodlndra Robinson. Dwarf and subsimple, 1-2 dm. high ; scales few 

 and often alternate as are the rather long curved-ascending peduncles ; flowers 

 for the most part nearly twice as large as in the preceding, purplish-tinged, 6 

 mm. long; corolla-lobes ovate-lanceolate, acutish, about twice the length of 

 the lance-oblong calyx-lobes; anthers chiefly brownish-purple ; stigma short. — 

 Sphagnous bogs, Nfd. and N. S. Aug., Sept. 



8. OBOlArIA L. Pennywort 



Calyx of 2 spatulate spreading sepals, resembling the leaves. Corolla wither- 

 ing-persistent ; the lobes oval-oblong, or with age .spatulate, imbricated in the 

 bud 1 Stamens inserted at the sinuses of the corolla, short. Style short, per- 

 sistent ; stigma 2-lipped. Capsule ovoid, 1-celIed, the cell cruciform ; the seeds 

 covering the whole face of the walls. — A low and very smooth purplish-green 

 perennial 6-15 cm. high, with a simple or sparingly branched stem, opposite 

 wedge-obovate leaves ; the dull white or purplish flowers solitary or in clusters 

 of three, terminal and axillary, nearly sessile, in spring. (Name from i/SoXis, 

 a small Greek coin, from the thick rounded leaves.) 

 Ix' 1. 0. virginica L. Herbaceous and rather fleshy, the lower leaves scale-like ; 

 flowers 1 cm. long. — Moist woods, N. J. to 111., s. to Ga. and Tex. Mar. -May. 



9. MENYANTHES [Toui-n.] L. Buckbean 



Calyx 5-parted. Corolla short funnel-form, 5-oleft, deciduous, the whole 

 upper surface white-bearded. Style slender, persistent ; stigma 2-lobed. Capsule 

 bursting somewhat irregularly, many-seeded. Seed-coat hard, smooth and 

 shining. — A perennial herb, with a thickish creeping rootstock, sheathed by 

 the membranous bases of the long petioles, which bear 3 oval or oblong 

 leaflets; the flowers raoemed on the naked scape (1-3 dm. high), white or 

 slightly reddish. (The ancient Theophrastian name, probably from fiiiv, month, 

 and (Sreos, aflovmr, some say from its flowering for about that time.) 



1. M. trifoliJlta L. — Bogs and shallow water. Lab. to Alaska, s. to N. J., 

 Pa., Great L. region, la., etc. Apr. -June. (Eurasia.) 



10. NYMPHOtDES [Tourn.] Hill. Floating Heakt 



Calyx 5-parted. Corolla almost wheel-shaped, 5-parted, the divisions bearing 

 a glandular appendage near the base. Style short or none ; stigma 2-lobed, 

 persistent. Capsule few-many-seeded, at length bursting irregularly. Seed-coat 

 hard. — Perennial aquatics, with floating leaves on very long petioles, which, 

 in most species, bear near the summit the umbel of polygamous flowers, often 

 along with a cluster of short and spur-like roots ; flowering all summer. (Name 

 from Ntjmphaea and eiSos, appearance.) Limnanthemum S, V. Gmel. 



1. N. lacunbsum (Vent.) Fernald. Floating leaves round-heart-shaned, 1.5-6 



