DECANDRIA DIGYNIA 269 



1. H. vulgaris, Jtfx. Leaves oblong-ovate, acuminate, dentate, ob- 

 tuse or subcordate at base ; corymbs cymose ; flowers mostly all fertile 

 and uniform. Beck, Bot. p. 137. 

 H. frutescens. Jltarsh. Arbust. p. 61. 



H. arborcscens. U'illd. Sp. 2. p. 633. Ait. Keu\ 3. p. 63. Mvhl. 

 CataL p* 44. Lindl. Ency. p. 366. var. vulgaris, DC. Prodv. 4, p. 14, 

 Also? H. cordata. Puvsh.Am. I. p. 309. EIL Sk. 1. p. 509, DC. I. c. 

 Lindl. I. c. Eat. Man. p. 179. 



Common Hydrangea. 



Stem 4 to 6 feet high, with opposite branches and a largo pith; young branches 

 pubescent. Leaves 3 to 6 inches long, and 2 to 3 or 4 inches wide, sometimes in- 

 clining to obovate, with coarse unequal obtusely-mucronate teeth, midrib and 

 nerves pubescent on both sides, sprinkled with short hairs on the upper surface, 

 smooihish paler and somewhat glaucous beneath ; petioles 1 to 2 inches long, flat- 

 tish, or obscurely margined, nerved, pubescent, subconnate at base. Corymbs 

 terminating the young branches, flattish, or cyme-like, pedunculate, pubescent ; 

 subdivisions with subulate bracts at base ; pedicels unequal. Oa/ya? colored ; tube 

 adnate to the ovary, 10-nerved ; limb minutely 5-toothed. Petals white, or ochro- 

 leucous, lance-ovate, small. Stamens a little unequal, much longer than the petals. 

 Styles short, thick, persistent, diverging. Capsule small, hemispherical, 10-ribbed, 

 2-celled (or 2 connate capsules?), opening at summit between the persistent styles, 

 and finally with numerous horizontal fissures between tho ribs. Seeds striately 

 ribbed, dark brown. 



Hub. Bank of ihe Schuylkill ; Black Rock: rare. Fl. July. JFV. Sept. —Oct. 



Obs. Collected by D. Townsbnd, Esq. in 1830. Two other species are enumer- 

 ated in the U. States; — beside the H. cordata , — which is believed to be only a 

 variety of this, with large Bubcordate leaves, and flowers sometimes radiated. 



214. 8AXIFRAGA. L. Jfutt. Gen. 405. 

 [Lat, Saxum, a rock,and/Wz;ji > '0, to break; from often growing in the clefts of rocks.] 



Calyx 5-parted, persistent, often adnale to the base of the ovary. Pe- 

 tals 5, entire, with short claws. Ovary rather superior. Capsule 2- 

 celled, 2-beaked (or rather 2 acuminate connate carpels), opening be- 

 tween the beaks. Seeds numerous. 



Herbaceous: polymorphous; leaves alternate, or opposite, often all radical; 

 fl »wcrs of the american species in paniculate cymes, or fascicles* Fat. Ord. 33. 

 Lindl. Saxifrages. 



1. S. virginiensis, Jlfx. Leaves radical, more or less spatulate- 



ovate, often obtuse, crcnate-dentate, tapering at base to a broad petiole ; 



scape nearly leafless ; cymes corymbose-paniculate ; flowers subsessile, 



crowded ; petals obovate-oblong, more than twice as long as the calyx ; 



capsule half inferior. Beck, Bot. p. 137. 



S. nivalis. IVilld? Sp. 2. p. 645. Muhl. Catal. p. 44. Not of Pers? 



Ait. Pursh,Nutt. DC. Hook. Lindl. Eat. 



S. virginica. Pers. Syn. I. p. 488. JVutt. Gen. l./>. 285. Bart. Phil. 



1. p. 208. Florul. Cestr.p. 52. 



S. vcrnalis. Bigel. Bost.p. 177. Also? Hook. Am. I. p. 248. 



Virginian Saxifraoa. Vulgd — Early Saxifrage. 



Root perennial, thick, with numerous fibres. Leaves 3 fourths of an inch to an 

 inch and half long, and half an inch to an inch wide, generally spatulate-cv&tt, 



52* 



