CI STAGED. 41 



bud, fugacious. Stamens many. Style short or none; 

 stigma 3-lobed, scarcely distinct. Capsule strictly 1 -celled, 

 triangular, 3-valved, opening at the top ) seeds angular. 

 Flowers frequently of 2 sorts ; the primary or earliest ones, 

 with large petals, numerous stamens, and many-seeded pods ; 

 secondary or later ones much smaller, and few-seeded pods. — 

 Herbs with perennial roofs, and yellow flowers, vcliieli open in 

 sunshine, and east their petals by the next day. 



1. II. Canadense, Michx. Rock Rose. Frost Weed. 



Stem at first simple, erect, or ascending ; leaves oblong or somewhat lanceolate, 

 •cute, hairy, alternate, without stipules. 



Sandy or gravelly dry soil. June — Aug. Stem about 1 foot high. Leaves % to 

 1 inch long, }/£ as wide, entire, sub-sessile. Primary or terminal flowers large, few 

 or solitary, on peduncles as long as the flowers; petals large bright yellow ; second^ 

 ary flowers axillary, very small, nearly sessile, solitary or somewhat clustered, on 

 ehort leafy branches ; the petals very small or none ; the outer sepals usually want- 

 ing. Late in autumn, chrystals of ice shoot from the cracked bark ; hence th* 

 eommon name. 



2. LECHEA. Linn. Pinweed. 



In honor of John Leche, a Swedish botanist. 



Calyx S-sepalled, with 2 outer bracts or sepals, persist- 

 ent. Petals 3, inconspicuous, lanceolate. Stamens 3 to 

 12. Style scarcely any. Stigmas 3, scarcely distinct. 

 Capsule 3-celled, 3-valved ; placentce nearly as the valves, 

 ronndish, each 1 to 2-seeded. — Inconspicuous perennial 

 branching plants, with very small greenish or purplish floivers* 



1. L. MAJOR, Michx. Large Pinweed. 4 



Hairy; stem erect, simple, producing slender prostrate branches from the base; 

 leaves oblong-lanceolate, mucronate, pilose, alternate and opposite, or sometimes 

 •whorled ; panicle short, leafy ; Jloiuers densely crowded in panicled clusters ; pedicels 

 shorter than the globose depressed (very small) pods. 



Dry woods and fields. July. Stem 1 to 2 feet high, erect. Flowers small, browr, 

 in racemose clusters. 



2. L. MINOR, Lam. Smaller Pinweed. 



Stem slender, upright or diffusely branched, nearly Bmooth ; leaves linear-lanceo- 

 late, acute; leafy shoots densely tufted at the base; panicle leafy, its tranches 

 •longated ; flowers loosely racemed ; pedicels mostly longer than the globose pods. 



Dry hills. July — Sept. Stem 8 to 12 inches high, often decumbent at the base. 

 Stem-leaves % by }i inch alternate, sparingly ciliate and revolute at the margin; 

 those of the long slender branches minute. Flcwers larger than in L. major. P«e 

 teds brownish-purple, cohering at the apex. Ckipsides also larger than in the 

 preceding. 



3. HUDSONIA. Linn. 



In honor of Win. Hudson, author of " Flora AnyKcd." 



Calyx 5-parted ; segments unequal, the two outer ones 

 0* 



