44 PLANTS OF MASSACHUSETTS. 



Gossypium. L. 15. 12. Cotton. 

 G. herbaceum. W. The common Cotton plant was intro- 

 duced from India or Africa ; at the north it is cultivated for orna- 

 ment and curiosity in gardens ; stem about 2 feet high, bearing 

 large white flowers, with its seeds involved in long wool. Its 

 history belongs not to the botany of Massachusetts. 



Other exotic genera are cultivated in the greenhouse. 



ORDER 36. HYPERICINES. 



Outer floral envelope divided, monosepalous, or of 4 or 5 se- 

 pals, including 4 or 5 petals, hypogynous ; stamens many, in- 

 definite, hypogynous, often in 3 or more sets ; leaves not 

 always opposite ; flowers commonly yellow ; some of the order 

 are herbaceous. 



Hypericum. L. 12. 5. 



H. perforatum. L. St. John's Wort. A well-known plant 

 in neglected and barren, sandy fields ; stem 2 feet high, branched, 

 and bearing many yellow flowers for a considerable time ; leaves 

 opposite, with many dots over the surface, as if they had been 

 'perforated by a needle. 



Eight other species, angulosum, Mx., ascyroides, W., Cana- 

 dense, L., Corymbosum, L., cystifolium, Lmk., parviflorum, 

 W., sarothra, Mx., Virginicum, L., are credited to this State, 

 and some of them are rather common ; but, with some striking ex- 

 ceptions, they have little beauty, and have not any useful applica- 

 tion. Another species has lately been found near Boston. Tuck- 

 er man. 



H. ellipticum. Hooker. Stem a foot or more high, with el- 

 liptic, obtuse leaves an inch long, and cyme nearly naked. 



ORDER 38. SAXIFRAGES. Saxifrage Tribe. 



Calyx divided sometimes to the base into 4 or 5 parts ; pe- 

 tals none, or 5, between the divisions of the calyx ; stamens 



