ICOSANDRIA DI-PENTAGYNIA 299 



pedunculate, hemispherical, with the flowers crowded ; carpels mostly 

 3, connate at base, inflated, 3 times as long as the calyx, Beck, Bot. 

 p. 98. 

 Opulus-leayed Spiraea. Vulgo — Nine-bark. 



StemStoB feet high, with alternate branches, and the bark in many loose lami- 

 nae, or layers. Leaves 1 to 2 inches long, and nearly as wide as long f generally 

 obtuse, or rounded, and 3-lobed, sometimes oblong-ovate and rather acute, un- 

 equally and crenately incised, slightly pubescent on the nerves, and in their axils, 

 beneath ; petioles half an inch to 3 quarters in length, smoothish; stipules lanceo- 

 late. Corymbs simple, subumbellate ; common peduncle half an inch to an inch 

 long ; pedicels half an inch to near an inch long, slender, numerous, crowded, pu- 

 bescent, each with a lance-linear caducous bract at or near the base. Calyx cam. 

 panulate, clothed with a short tomentose pubescence: segments lance-ovate, 

 acute (obtuse, Torr.). Petals white, or often tinged with purple. Styles 3 to 5. 

 Carpels 3, 4, or 5, about 1 third of an inch long, compressed, connate below, diverg- 

 ing above, and acuminate with the persistent base of the styles, smooth and shining, 

 greenish yellow, or often purple, usually 2-seeded. Seeds obovoid, smooth and 

 shining, yellowish. 



Hob. Banks of streams ; Brandywine; Valley creek: rare. F/.June. F)\ Sept. 



Obs. This is the variety, tomentclla, DC. the young corymbs being quite hoary 

 with a short tomentose pubescence ; but in their more advanced stages they become 

 much smoother. 



2. S. salicifolta, L. SuflYuticosc ; leaves lanceolate, or obovate- 

 lanceolatc, acute, or obtuse, sharply serrate, glabrous, without stipules ; 

 racemes terminal, compound, densely paniculate ; carpels 5, distinct, 

 not inflated, scarcely twice as long as the calyx. Beck, Bot. p. 99. 



S. tomentosa alba. Marsh. Arbust. p. 147. 



S. alba. MuhL Catal. p. 49. BigeL Bost.p. 196. 



Willow-leaved Spiraea. Vulgo — Ind. Pipe-shank. Meadow Sweet. 



Stem 3 to 6 feet high, somewhat branched ; branches erect, tender or suffruticose, 

 smooth, mostly dark purple, filled with pith. Leaves 1 to 2 or 2 and a half inches 

 long, and half an inch to an inch wide, varying from oblong-lanceolate to obovate- 

 oblong and cuneate, mostly acute, sharply and somewhat doubly serrate, with the 

 serratures cartilaginous at the point, generally smooth on both sides, and a little 

 glaucous beneath ; petioles very short, naked. Flowers in a crowded racemose 

 terminal panicle 2 to 4 inches in length ; principal branches of the panicle with 

 lanceolate bracts at base, the pedicels often with subulate bracts near the flower ; 

 bracts villose-ciliate. Calyx sub-turbinate, smooth, mostly purplish ; segments 

 ovate, acute (or if cut off at haso, would form an pqnilntnral triangle). Petals 

 reddish white, or blush color. Carpels 5, small, obovoid-obiong, somewhat com- 

 pressed, acute at base, smooth, obliquely beaked by the base of the style, opening 

 on the inner side. Seeds small, oblong. 



Hob. Swampy thickets, and low grounds : frequent. Fl June-July. fV.— Oct. 



Obs. Authors describe several varieties of this. Ours seems to be the var. 

 latifoliat Willd. and Ait. or the var. alba, Lindl. 27ncy.--though I have rarely, if 

 ever, observed the flowers to be perfectly white. Nine or ten additional species 

 arc enumerated in the U. States. 



