242 ORDER XX. ILLECEBRACEJE. 



Genus III.— ELO'DEA. Ad. 12—5. 

 (From the Greek elos, a marsh.) 



Sepals 5, united at the base. Petals 5, unguiculate. Sta- 

 mens 9 — 15, united into three parcels, with an intervening 

 gland. Pistils 3, distinct, spreading. Capsule 3-celled, 3- 

 valved. ^ 



1. E. Virgin'ica, (Nutt.) Stem glabrous, terete, with opposite 

 branches. Leaves opposite, oblong, sessile, clasping, glaucous under- 

 neath. Flowers in axillary and terminal cymes ; axillary ones about 

 3-flowered ; terminal ones more numerous. Sepals oval, nerved, not 

 dotted, glabrous. Petals oval or obovate-oblong, marked with reddish 

 veins. Stamens usually 9. — Orange-purple. If. Aug. — Sept. Wet 

 soils. 18 — 24 inches. 



2. E. petiola'ta, (Pursh.) Stem glabrous. Leaves petiolate, attenu- 

 ated at the base, oblong-oval. Flowers opposite, by threes. Stamens 

 united above the middle. Sepals oval, obtuse, with membranaceous 

 margins. Petals lanceolate, a little longer than the calyx. Stamens 

 9, in three parcels. Capsule 8-celled. — Orange- purple. If. Aug. — 

 Sept. Around ponds and ditches. 2 — 2 feet 6 inches. 



Order XX.— ILLECEBRA'CE^E. 



Sepals 5, persistent, distinct, or united at the base. Petals 

 5 or none, alternate with the sepals, minute, sometimes resem- 

 bling sterile filaments. Stamens equal in number to the sepals, 

 or fewer, and opposite them, perigynous, filaments distinct, an- 

 thers 2-celled. Ovary compressed, of several carpels, with the 

 dissepiments obliterated, so as to form a pyxidium, with central 

 placentae, 1 or many seeded. Seeds campylotropous. Embryo 

 more or less curved. Herbaceous plants, with opposite, entire 

 leaves, with scabrous stipules. 



ANALYSIS. 



1. Style 1, filiform, petals none, or subulate Siphonychia, 3 



Styles or stigmas more than 1 2 



2. Styles 5 Spergula, 6 



Styles less than 5 3 



8. Styles 3 4 



Stylo 2 5 



4. Flowen In fascicles, terminal, stipules multifid StipuUdda, 4 



Flowers eym «e Potyoar% 



1 k>w< reaxl i:u-y. solitary Sperg-i 



5. Sepals cuspidate. <>r onrved at the summit Paronychia, l 



Srp.il> sob-saecaie at the apes Anyohia % 2 



- i. PARONYCHIA. Jua 6— L 



(From the Qot&ikparmuchia, something that oorei maladies of the nails.) 



Sepals united at the base, cuspidate or curved at the summit; 

 the inner portion colored, cucullate, or concave at the summit. 



