302 ICOSANDRIA POLYGYNIA 



Virginia* Gku^t. Vulgo— White Avcns. Herb bonnet, or herbc benite. 



Root perennial* Stem 2 to 3 feet high, erect, paniculately branched at summit, 

 more or less hairy, often hirsute. Radical leave* trifoliate, or often pseudo-pinnate 

 with about 5 leaflets or segments ; leaflets an inch and half to 3 inches long, and I 

 to k 2 inches wide, broad-ovate, or elliptic, the lateral ones obliquely rhomboid-ovate, 

 the terminal ones larger, all crenate-serrate, and incised, or somewhat lobtd, 

 more or less cuneate at base, sessile, or subscssile, hairy ; common j^tioles A to 

 or 8 inches long, those of the pinnate leaves often with a pair of small leaflets an 

 inch or two below the others. Lower stem-leaves mostly trifoliate, sometimes 

 quinately pseudo pinnate, petiolate, becoming 3-lobed and nearly sessile as they 

 ascend; upper leaves simple, lanceolate, incised-serrate. Stipules sometimes 

 entire, generally lobed,or incieed«dentate. Flowers on peduncles 1 to 2 or 3 inches 

 loner, terminating the branches, at first somewhat timlding, finally ereet or diverg- 

 ing. Calyx hairy; segments reflected, lanceolate, with a tapering apex, and a 

 short white pubescence on the margin ; bracts at the clefts of the segments minute, 

 linear. Petals white, or sometimes pale yellow, cuneate-obovate, about as long as 

 the calyx. Carpels crowded into a head, bristly ; styles smooth, persistent, finally 

 divaricate, or reflexed ; stigmas linear, or subclavate, hairy at base, articulated to 

 the styles,— when the flower expands, the stigmas and styles become curved or 

 contorted at the articulation, and the stigmas soon fall off*, leaving the joints of the 

 styles hooked. 



J lab* Borders of woods, thickets, &C. frequent. Fl. June— July. Fr. September. 



Obs. The specimens with pseudo-pinnate leaves are usually much more hir- 

 sute than the others; but the variations between G. alburn flnd Q. virginianum 

 are so numerous and inconstant, that I believe they may very properly be reduced 

 to one species,— as suggested by De Candolle, and sanctioned by Hooker. 



* # Calyx erect. 



2, G. bivale, L. Radical leaves interruptedly pseudo-pinnate, the 

 terminal segment large, cordate-orbicular ; stem-leaves trifoliate, or 'J- 

 cleft, segments acute ; stipules ovate, incised ; peduncles erect ; flowers 

 nodding; petals broad, obeordate-spatulate, unguiculate ; styles pilose 

 at base; stigmas long, filiform, plumose. Heck, Bot. p, 101. 



Rivkr Gktx. Vulgo — Water Avcns. Purple Avcns. 



Root perennial. Stem about 2 feet high, erect, nearly simple, rather retrorsely 

 pilose. Radical leaves interruptedly pseudo-pinnate, on hairy petioles 6 to { J inches 

 long; principal leaflets 3 to 5 (often only the terminal one), the lateral ones obovate. 

 incised-serrate, or iobod, subsessile, the terminal one 2 to near 3 inches long, and 

 wider than long, roundish-cordate, incised-serrate and sublobed, often distinctly 

 3-lobed, pilose ; the intermediate leaflets small, ovate, entire, serrate, or 3-cleft, 

 sessile, opposite, or alternate. Flotcers large, terminal on the few erect branches 

 at summit, mostly nodding ; peduncles tomentose. Calyx pubescent, dark purple 

 externally; segments erect, lanceolate, rather acuminate ; bracts at the clefts 

 small, linear. Petals purplish orange, broadly spatulato, very obtuse, or slightly 

 obcordate, abruptly narrowed to a claw below, rather longer than the calyx. 

 Carpels in a thick obtuse head, hirsute : styles slonder,dark purple, pilose at base; 

 stigmas filiform, much longer than in the preceding species, plumosely hairy, ex- 

 cept near the apex. 



ilab. Swampy meadow, at Downingtown : veryjrare. Fl. May— June. Fr. August. 



Obs. First detected in the above locality, by Mr. Joshua Hoopbs, in 1S32. It has 

 not yet been found elsewhere within the County. Six or eight additional species 

 have been enumerated in the U. States ; buts:>me of them are not well established. 



