TETRANDRIA DIGYMA 113 



frgmertls of the perianth dark brown, fleshy, cuneate, truncate, the apex and mar- 

 gins inflected. Stametis a little exsertod. Style tapering to a point. Seed as 

 Jaree as a pea, imbedded in the receptacle. 

 JIab. Low swampy grounds : common. Fl. February— March. Fr. Sept. 



Obs. This plant is notorious for the pole-cat-like odor which it emits, when 

 wounded ; and is said to j>ossess some medicinal virtues, as an anti-spasmodic. 

 The root, when chewed, produces a tingling, or pricking sensation, in the mouth. 

 Ic is the only secies of the genus in the U. States : Dr. Barton, however, describes 

 a pretty distinct variety, near Philadelphia. 



81. PARIETARIA. L. Mitt. Gen. 742. 



[Latin, Paries, a wall; one of the species delighting to grow on old walls.] 



Moxoicouslt Polygamous: Flowers in clusters, surrounded by a 

 many-cleft involucre. Perfect Fl. Perianth 4-parted, persistent. 

 Stamens at first incurved, then expanding with an elastic force. Stig- 

 ma pencil-form. Fruit a polished nut, enclosed in the perianth. Pis- 

 tillate Fl. in the same cluster, resembling the perfect ones. 



Herbaceous: roughish pubescent; leaves mostly alternate ; flowers in axillary 

 iQVolucrate clusters. Nat. Ord. 78. Lindl. Urticeje. 



1. P. penxsylyaxica, JMuhL Leaves oblong-lanceolate, narrowed 

 towards the apex, rather obtuse, covered with rough dots ; involucre 

 longer than the flowers. Beck, Bot. p. 315. 

 P. americana. JMuhl. Catal. p. 95. 



Pennsylvania* Parietaria. Vulgo — Pellitory. 



Root annual. Stem 4 to 12 or 15 inches high, mostly simple, sometimes with op 

 posite branches near the base, striate, i uuhish pubescent. Leans 1 to "2 inches 

 I »ag, and about half an inch wide, alternate, lanceolate, subacuminate or with a 

 lengthened narrow point, but rather obtuse at the apex, irregularly nerved, entire , 

 filiate on the margin, somewhat pilose on both surfaces, and rough with elevated 

 dots, tapering at base to a slender ciliate petiole one half to three fourths of an 

 inch in length. Clusters offloicers somewhat branching or subdivided, so as to 

 present the appearance of a 2or3-leaved involucre to each flower. Leaflets or seg- 

 ments of the involucre sublinear, hispid-ciliate, rough with elevated dots. Peri- 

 anth colored, whitish, becoming light reddish brown ; segments lance-ovate, acute., 

 keeled, pilose. Seed or nut oval, somewhat compressed, grcen»sh brown, very 



smooth anil shininir. 



■ 



Hab. Abng the Schuylkill ; Black Rock : not common. Fl. May. Fr. July. 



Obt. Found by D. Townsbnd, Esq, in 1S30. One other species occurs in the U. 

 States, in the South. 



[Euonymus atropurpureus. Pentaruhia Monopjnia.') 



[Smilaciua canadensis, Hexandria Moriogynia.] 



Order 2. Digynia. 



82. HAMAMELI8. L. JVutt. Gen. 160. 



[A name of obscure derivation*] 



Involucre 3-leaved, 3-flowered, Calyx double; outer one of 2 small 

 *uborbicular sepals, the inner one deeply 4-parted ; segncnts oblong. 

 Petals 4, linear, very long. Capsule bony, 2-celled, 2-horned, open- 

 ing at the top. Seeds I in each cell. 



10* 



