DKCANDRIA PENTAGYNIA 281 



222. AGROSTEMMA. L. JYutt. Gen. 418. 

 [Greek, Agros, a field, and Stemma, a garland ; from its handsome dowers.] 



Calyx tubular, 5-cleft, coriaceous. Petals 5, unguiculate, not crown- 

 ed at throat ; lamina obtuse, undivided. Capsule l-celled, opening 

 with 5 teeth at summit. 



Herbaceous: siem nodose, paniculately branching; leaves opposite; (lowers 

 terminal, solitary, on long peduncles. Xat. Ord. 1-10. LindL Cauvophvlle^e. 



1. A. Githako, /,. Hairy; leaves linear-lanceolate, acute; calyx- 

 segments foliaceous, much longer than the petals, Becky Bot. p. 49. 



Lychnis Githago. DC. Prodv. I. p. 387. 



Vulgo — Cockle. Corn Cockle. Rose Campion, 



GalL-lA Nielle des Bles. Germ.-Der Kom-radcn. 7//s/;.-Ncguillon- 



Plant pale glaucous green, clothed with long appressed hairs. Root annual 1 

 Stem 2 to 3 or 4 feet high, simple, dichotomou6ly and paniculately branching at 

 summit. Leaves 3 to 5 inches long, and 1 third to half an inch wide, scabrous, 

 fringed with long hairs, sessile, and connate by a scabrous membrane. Pedu7icle* 

 4 to 8 or in inches long, stout, leafless. Calyx ovoid-oblong, 10-ribbed ; segments 

 an inch to an inch and halflong, linear-lanceolate, resembling the leaves. Petals 

 violet purple ; lamina obovate, emarginate. Cujisule ovoid, about 3 fourths of an 

 inch long, and near half an inch in diameter. Seeds numerous, somewhat coch- 

 lcate-obovoid, angular, muricately ribbed, dark purple, or finally purplish black. 



/Lib. Cultivated fields; chiefly anung wheat and rye : frequent. F/.Junc. TV. July. 



Obs* This foreigner, although diligently rooted out by all neat farmers, maintains 

 its ground obstinately in our wheat fields. The seeds, when abundant among 

 wheat, are injurious to the quality and appearance of the Hour. This is called an 

 annual, iu the books,— and it certainly lives but one year; yet it approaches the 

 biennials by the growth of radical leaves in autumn, and living through the win- 

 ter which precedes its flowering. There are no native species in the U. States. 



223. PENTHOROI. Z, Jfutt. Gen. 421. 



[ Gr. Pente, five, and Oos,a column ; alluding to the o conic beaks of the capsule.] 



Calyx 5-parted. Petals 5, or 0. Carpels 5, superior, connate at 

 base, forming a 5-beaked 5-cclled capsule ; cells opening transversely 

 on the inner side of the beaks. Seeds numerous, miilutc. 



Herbaceous: leaves alternate, membranaceous; flowers in terminal c.ymose 

 racemes. Nat* Ord. \\7. LindL Crassulacejs. 



1. P. 8BDOIDE8, i. Stem mostly branched, and angular above; leaves 

 lanceolate, acute, serrate, subsessile; racemes secund, simple, cyraofce, 

 spreading, at (irst recurved. Beck, Bot. p. 133. 



Skdum-likk Pexthoiium. FulffS — Virginian Stone-crop. 



Root perennial. Slcm 1*2 to IS inches high, erect, terete below, angular above, 

 with a few axillary branches, smooth, except on the angles. Leaves 2 to 4 laches 

 1 >ng, and 3 fourths of an inch to an inch wide, acute at each end, acutely and un- 

 equally serrate, smooth, on very short petioles. Racemes somewhat spiked, 1 to2 

 inches long, revolute at apex, yellowish green ; peduncles and jwdicels s,-a:,r..us- 

 pubescent. Calyx somewhat adnate to the baso of the ovary; segments ovate, 

 acute, deniiculate. Petals mostly 0. Stamens I >nger than the calyx, inserud a; 



21* 



