34 



DICOTYLEDONOUS. 



of 2-5 united carpels. Styles several, persistent. Capsule 

 with a septicidal dehiscence, 1-2-5 celled ; when l-celh-d the 

 placeiitffi parietal ; when more than l-celled, the placentae cen- 

 tral. Seeds very numerous, anatropous. Embryo straight, 

 f:ylindrical. Herbs and shrubs. Leaves opposite entire, with- 

 out stipules, dotted. 



Genus I. ASCYRUM. 



Sepals 4, the two exterior usually broad and foliaceous, the 

 two interior smaller. Petals 4. Stamens usually united by 

 their filaments into four parcels. Capsule oblong, l-celled, 2- 

 valved, with parietal placentae. Styles 2-3, occasionally uni- 

 ted. Shrubby, or suffructicose. Leaves with black dots. — 

 Flowers yellow. 



1. A. Crux-AiVdreje. Stan erect, much branched spreading. Leaves 

 oblong-lanceolale, obtuse, sessile, dotted, small. Flowers solitary, axillary, 

 and terminal. The outer sepals, cordate, ovale, acute; the interior small, 

 2small brac;cal leaves at the base of ihe calyx. PeiaZs linear-oblong. Styles 

 2. Siigtnas single. Cr/psuZe 2-valved, compressed. St. Andrew's Cross. 



Yellow. %. July. Pine woods. Car. & Geo. 8-J2 inches. 



2. A. Pu:.iiLUM. (SVfm prostrate, much divided, slightly winged. Leaves 

 hnear-ova', sma]'. obtuse, toollicd^ perennial. Flowers so'itary, axillary; 

 exterior sepals ovate, acute, marked wiih dois. Petals ob-ovate, a little lon- 

 ger than the cal'/x. Stamens numerous, not distinctly united into parcels. 

 Styhl.\ox)g. Capsule ovate. A variable plant. 



Yellow. %. March. Pine barrens, MiJdle Geo. 6-10 inches. 



3. A. Hypericoides. Stem erect sparingly uichotomous, branched, ancip- 

 ital, slightly winged. Leaves sessile, opposiie, somewhat clasping, oblong, 

 obtuse, glaucous. Flovxrs terminial or axillary on erect peduncle?, exterior, 

 sepals large, cordate-ovate, nearly orbicular, nerved dotted. Petals obovate. 

 /S^affiens very numerous. Styles 2. Capsule wiangular. Seeds siiiate. 



Yellow. T^. Through the summer. Dump soils. 



4. A. AjiPLExicAULE. /S^/e?.i erect, sparingly branched, branches ancipital. 

 Leaves broadly ovate, oblong, cordate, clasping. Flowers erect ; exterior se- 

 pals cordate, hroad.. Petals obovate. Stamrns very numerous. Styles 3. 



Yellow. %. Through the summer. Souihern Geo. & Florida. 1-2 ft. 



5. A. MiCRosEPALrM- Stem nearly terete, much branched. Leaves very 

 small, oblong-linear, crowded. Flowere erect, on long peduncles, large, 

 clustered at she summit of the branches. Sepals nearly equal in length ; the 

 exterior ones about a third broader than the others. Petals more than twice 

 as long as the sepals, one of them usually much shorter than the others. 

 Styles filiform, long. Torrey & Gray. 



Yellovv'. March— April. Middle Florida. A foot or more high. 



Genus II. HYPERICUM. 



Sepals 5, united at the base, foliaceous. Petals 5, oblique. 

 Stamens numerous united at the base into 3-5 parcels. Pis- 

 tils 8-5, pensistent. Capsule l-celled, with parietal placentae, 

 or 3-5-celled 



1. H. Prolificum. Stem shrubby or sufTructicose, with dichotomous, an- 



