Willow Herb. 29 



EPILOBIUM— WILLOW HERB. 



Natural Class, Dicotyledones; Order, Onagracea?. Linnsean Class, Octan- 

 dria; Order, Monogynia. Generic Distinctions :— calyx, four cleft; petals, 

 four'; stamens, eight; style, filiform, with a clavate or cruciform stigma; 

 capsule, linear, of four cells, with four valves ; seeds, numerous, bearded. 



E. Angustifoliwn. (L.) Leaves, lanceolate, denticulate, veined ; peduncles, 

 shorter than the germen ; flower buds, obovate, narrowed at the base, and 

 suddenly contracted into a point at the apex. Sepals, linear, lanceolate, 

 acute, equalling or slightly longer than the petals ; capsule, linear, straight, 

 erect, three to four feet high ; grows in damp, shady places. 



Of this genus there are a large number of species, both in 

 this country and in Europe. There is so strong a family like- 

 ness between them, as to leave little room for mistaking one 

 after having seen another. The natural order in which they 

 are comprised, has for its type the Evening Primrose, (Oeno- 

 thera,) and is very well defined by the great similarity of its 

 members to each other, in several curious particulars. Plants 

 belonging to this order, are scattered in various countries of 

 the world, from South America to Siberia, and they all agree 

 in this respect, that every one of the parts of the flower con- 

 sists of four pieces, or of some number that may be divided 

 by four. The calyx is composed of four sepals, the petals are 

 four, the stamens are eight, the ovary contains four cavities, 

 the style separates into four stigmas, the fruit is a dry oval 

 case with four angles, opening into four valves. There are 

 many plants of different orders, which have some of their 

 parts of the number of four, but it is only in this tribe that all 

 the parts are in fours at the same time. 



Some of the species of Epilobium are very handsome, 

 showy plants, particularly E. spicatum, which is a native of 

 New York, and of the Northern and Eastern States. It flowers 

 in August, and when a large cluster is seen together, as is 

 often the case, the tall, leafy stems, and long spike of purple 

 blossoms, produce a very brilliant effect. We have cultivated 

 this species with very good success in pots, by giving it a 

 portion of the earth in which it originally grew, and keeping it 

 well watered, in which case it will frequently attain an extra 



