PRIMULACE2E. 227 



2. DODECATHEON, Linn. American Cowslip. 



Gr. do.icla. twelve, theoi, gods; alluding to its curious flowers which are about 12 



Calyx deeply 5-cleft; the divisions lanceolate, reflexeti. 

 Corolla with a very short tube, and rotate, 5-parted limb, 

 with reflexed long and narrow segments. Stamens 5, in- 

 serted into the throat of the corolla; filaments short, 

 monodelphous at the base, with long and linear approximate 

 anthers. Style exserted. Capsule oblong-ovoid, 5-valved, 

 many-seeded. — Perennial smooth herbs, with fibrous roots, 

 radical oblong or spatulate leaves, in clusters, and an erect 

 simple scape bearing a terminal umbel of nodding flowers, 

 purple rose-color or sometimes white. 



1. D. media, L. American Cowslip. Mead's Cowslip. 



Leaves oblong or oval, obtuse, tapering into a margined petiole, toothed or entire; 

 many-flowered; involucre bracts ovate or lanceolate; anthers acute, much. 

 longer than the short filaments. 



Rocky places, along the Susquehanna. May. A beautiful smooth plant, with 

 radical clustered leaves, 5 to 10 inches long, by 1 to 2 inches wide, the margin 

 often wavy. Scape 6 to 12 inches high. Corolla white, rose-colored or purple. 

 Anthers % to % inch long, yellow, purple at base. 



2. D. integrifolium, Michx. Dwarf American Cowslip. 



Leaves ovate or lanceolate, subspatulate, obtuse : pctiolate ; involucre bracts lanceo- 

 late or linear, acute ; umbel few-flowered; flowers erect. 



Mountains, rare. .Tune. A much smaller plant tban the preceeding. Scape 

 4 to S inches high, thick. Leaves 3 to 5 inches lonjj, on naked petioles. Flovjers 

 lue, somewhat crowded, on short pedicels. This may prove to be only a va- 

 v:[ the preceding species. 



3. TRIENTALIS, Linn. Starflower. 



Lat. triens, the third part of a foot; alluding to the size of the plant. 



Calyx mostly 7-parted. Corolla mostly 7-parted, 

 spreading, fiat without any tube. Stamens 6 to 8 ; fila- 

 ments slender, united into a ring at base. Style filiform. 

 Capsule globose, few-seeded. — Low and smooth perennials, 

 with simple erect stems, a. whorl of vein?/ leaves at the summit-, 

 and a few white flowers on solitary pedwnchs. 



1. T. Americana, Pursh. ChicTcweed Wintergreen. 



Leaves narrow-lanceolate, serrulate, acuminate: petals finely pointed. 



Low woods, rare. May. Stem, 6 inches high. Leaves 2 to 3 iuchos long, 6 or 7 

 in a Urmiual whorl, with a few minute alternate ones behsw. Flowers white cc 

 uriiiuial filiform peduncle?. 



4. LYSIMACHIA, Linn. Loosestrife. 



Gr. lusis, a release, and mache, strife. 



Calyx 5-parted. Corolla with a very short tube.; 



