DIDYNAA1IA GYMNOSPEEMIA 337 



Root perennial, of numerous strong fibres from a thick fleshy oblong greenish- 

 yellow tuber, or rhizoma. Stem G to 12 inches high, simple, pubescent, with ob- 

 long sheathing greenish-yellow 8tipulesatbase,and usually 2 (sometimes 3) leaves 

 at summit, (occasionally, a radical leaf on a petiole nearly as long as the stem). 

 Leaves 2 to 4 or 5 inches long, and 3 to 6 or 7 inches wide, dilated-cordate, some- 

 what pentagonal in the outline, palmate-lobcd about halfway to the base, pubes- 

 cent; lobes mostly 5, broad, acute, unequally serrate, and often sub-lobcd ; petiole 

 of the lower leaf 2 to 3 inches long, thick, terete, and nearly erect, giving the 

 stem a dichotomous appearance; upper leaf sessile at the base of the peduncle. 

 Peduncle about an inch long, stout, pubescent, sometimes with a small leaf near 

 the middle. Sepals white, or tinged with purple, small and very caducous. Sta- 

 mens numerous, crowded in several scries, longer than the ovaries; filaments flat, 

 dilated above, or lincar-oblanceolate, with a midrib, and resembling narrow petals. 

 Ovaries concrete, in a globose head ; style very short, persistent ; stigmas com- 

 pressed, dilated, and rounded, with a slight groove on the summit. Ca?pels mostly 

 1-seeded, becoming succulent, and forming a globose compound berry half an inch 

 to 3 quarters in diameter, purple when mature. 



Ilab. Rich moist woodlands: not common. Ft. April— May. /V.July. 



Obs. This was collected in the Great Valley, in lS28,by Messrs. Joshua Hoopes, 

 and Washington Townsend. It is also pretty abundant near Kimberton,- and 

 was found, the present season (1836), near the forks of Brandy wine, by Mr. 

 Hoopbs ; but it is not generally distributed through the County. The root is hitter, 

 and tonic ; and the late Prof. Barton thought it might prove to be valuable in fur- 

 nishing a yellow dye. It is the only known species of the genus. 



CLASS XIII. DIDYMMIA. 



Order 1. Gymiiospcriiiia.* 



1. 0CTMUM Tribe. Corolla sub-bilabiate ; the 4 upper lobes flat, nearly equal ; 

 the lower one declined, flat, or concave, boat-shaped, or saccate. Stamens decli- 

 ned. Ocymoidb.b. Denth. 



267. OCYMUM. L. Gen. PI. 986. 

 [Supposed to be from the Greek, Ozo, to smell ; in reference to its fragrance.] 



Calyx 5-clcft ; upper segment dilated, orbicular-ovate. Corolla with 

 the upper lip 4-cleft; lower lip scarcely longer, declined, entire, flattish. 



* The plants of this Order belong to a remarkably natural Family (Nat* Ord. 

 221. Lindl. Labiate) ; and I have ventured to transfer to it a few Sonera which 

 are usually placed in biahdrta,~ tout which arc so palpably allied t«> the Didynam- 

 ous plants, that even the youngest Botanists are often induced to look for them In 

 this Class :— in fact they seem to be Diandrous only by abortion. The Labiala. a: » 

 generally herbaceous (sometimes f rut csccnt), with square stems, and oj.posr 

 branches ; leaves opposite, without stipules, and mostly replete with receptacles 

 of aromatic oil,— many species delightfully fragrant \floiccrs in opposite subscssiie, 

 axillary cymes, often appearing verticillate ; calyx tubular, persistent; corolla 

 monopctalous, generally bilabiate-; stamens mostly i, inserted on the corolla, 2 

 of them longer (sometimes the upper pair wanting); ovary deeply Mobed ; style 

 1, proceeding from the base of the lobes of the ovary ; kigma bifid, mostly acute ; 

 fruit I to 4 small nuts, or A ken es, resembling naked seeds, at the bottom of the 

 persistent calyx. In grouping the genera into Iribes, I have adopted the ar- 

 rangement of Mr. Bcntham's elaborate and valuable work on the Labiaia. 



29 



