TROPiEOLACEiE. 65 



jhas 5, united. Capsules prismatic-terete, elongated, 5- 

 valved, the valves coiling elastically and projecting the seeds 

 in bursting. — Annual herbs with tender, smooth, sucidcnt 

 stems, tumid joints, and capsules burtsing elastically when 

 touched. 



1. I. pallida, Nutt. Snap-weed. Touch-me-not. 



Leaves oblong-ovate, coarsely and obtusely serrate, teeth mucronate, on short 

 petioles; peduncles 2 to 5-fiowercd, solitary, elongated; lower sej:al dilated-conical, 

 shorter than the petals, with a very short recurved spur. 



Damp shady places: common. Aug. Stem 3 to 5 feet high, much branched. 

 leaves 2 to 5 inches long, V/ x to 2 inches wide, with large obtuse teeth on petioles 

 }/ 2 inch long, upper ones sessile. Flowers large, mostly in pairs. Two outer sepals 

 J ale-green, hard-pointed, the rest pale-yellow. Petals pale-yellow, slightly spotted- 



2. I. FULVA, Nutt. Jciccl-wced. Ealsam-icced. 



Stem much branched; leaves rhombic-ovate, somewhat obtuse, coarsely and 

 obtusely serrate; Iceih mucronate Icwcr sepals acutely conic, with along round 

 spur. 



Damp shady ravines; common. Aug. Stem 2 to 4 feet high. Leaves 1 to 3 

 inches long, ]/, as wide, somewhat glaucous, en petioles 1 to 2 inches long. Flowers 

 deep orange with reddish-brown spots, smaller and less numerous than in the 

 former species. 



3. I. Balsamina, Garden Balsamine. Ladies' Slipper. 



Leaves lanceolate, serrate, upper ones alternate; pedtincles clustered; spur 

 shorter than the Cower. Native of the bast Indies. A leautiful gardes annual. 

 The prevailing color of the f.cwcrs are red and white, but the former varies in 

 every possible shade of crimson, scarlet, purple, pink and flesh-color, often double 

 and semi-double. 



Order 28. TROPJEOLACSSJ. 



Straggling or twining herbs, with a pungent watery juice, peltate or palmate leaves, 

 end irregular jlowers. Calyx of 5 colored, united sepals, the lower one spurred. 

 Petals 5 ; two upper arising from the throat of the calyx remote from the 3 which 

 are 6talked. Stamens 8, unequal, distinct. Ovary of 3 united carpels; style 1; 

 ttigmas 3. Fruit separating 3 indehiscent, lscedcd nuts. Seeds large. Albumen 

 DHTML 



1. TROP^OLUM. Linn. 



Lat. tropevum. a trophy; the leaf resembles a shield, the Cower an empty helmet. 



Generic character essentially the same as the order. 

 T. MAJUS. Kasturtion. Indian Cress, 



Leaves peltate, roundish repand on the margin, with the long petiole inserted a 

 little one side of the centre ; petals obtuse, the 2 upper distant from the 3 lower 

 trhich are fimbriate at base and contracted into long claws. A common garden 

 annual. Native ef Peru. Stem at length climbing by means of its long petioles 

 several feet. Leaves 2 inches in diameter. Flowers large and showy, orange^ 

 colored, with blotches of a deeper 6hade. The fruit is used for pickling. 



Q* 



