27. I-TIHRACE^. 28. TAMARISCACEjE. 127 



Order XXVII. LYTHEACEJE. 



Cal. tubular, lobed ; lobes valvate or distant in the bud, some- 

 times with intermediate teeth. Pet. between the lobes of the 

 calyx, very deciduous. Stam. inserted in the tube of the cal, 

 below the pet. and equalling them or 2, 3 or 4 times as many. 

 Ovary free, 2 — 4-celIed. Style 1. Caps, membranaceous, 

 usually (by abortion) 1-celled, with many seeds and a central 

 placenta, covered by the calyx. Embryo straight. — Stip. 0. 



1. Lythrum. Cal. tubular, cylindrical, with 8 — 12 teeth; 

 4 — 6 broader, erect ; alternate teeth subulate. Pet. 4 — 6. 

 Stam. as many as or twice the number of the petals. Style 



filiform. Caps. 2-celled many-seeded. 



2. Peplis. Cal. hellshaped with 12 teeth, of which 6 are 

 broader and erect, 6 subulate. Pet. G, minute, fugacious, 

 Stam. 6. Style very short. Caps. 2-celled, many-seeded. 



1 . Ly'thrum Linn. Loosestrife. 



1. i. Sahcdria (L.) ; I. lanceolate from a cordate base opposite 

 or whorled, fl. in whorled leafy spikes, bracts 0, subulate calyx- 

 teeth twice as long as the others, stam. 12. — S. B. 1061. — 

 Upper 1. usually falling short of the flowers, or so large as 

 totally to destroy the spiked appearance of the plant. St. 2 — 4 

 feet high and 1. nearly glabrous, or downy with crisped hairs. 

 Fl. large, purple or crimson. — Ditch-banks and damp places. 

 P. YII. VIII. Furple Loosestrife. E. S. I. 



2. L. Hyssopifdlia (L.) ; I. alternate linear-lanceolate blunt, fl. 

 axillarv solitary, bracts 2 minute subulate, calyx-teeth all short, 

 stam. 6. — E. B. 293. — St. mostly procumbent, spreading, simple 

 or branched. Fl. small, light purple. Glabrous. — Damp places 

 where water has stagnated, rare. A. VI. — X. E. I. 



2. Pep'lis Linn. Water-Purslane. 



1. P. Por'tula (L.) ; 1. opposite obovate stalked, fl. axillary 

 solitaiy sessile. — E. B. 1211. St. 1. 7. — Pet. often wanting. 

 Cal.-tube short, shortly bell-shaped, shorter than the capsule. 

 St. 4 — 6 in. long, prostrate, creeping. — Damp places. A. VII. 

 VIII. E. S. I. 



Order XXVIII. TAMAEISCACEiE. 



Cal. 4 — 5-parted, persistent, imbricate in the bud. Pet. 4 — 5< 

 withering, from the base of the calyx. Stam. equal to or t-ndce 

 as many as the pet., from the margin of a shieldlike disk. Caps. 

 1-celled, 3-valved, many-seeded, loculicidal. Placentas often 



