LOOSESTRIFE FAMILY 199 



LYTHRALES LO« ►SESTRIFE ORDER 



LYTHRACEAE LOOSESTRIFE FAMILY 



Sepals 4-6, united into a cylindric, 8-12-ribbed calyx, petals 4-6, rarely 

 none, pink to purple, stamens 8-12, inserted on the calyx-tube, ovary 2- 

 celled, stigma globose, capsule enclosed in the calyx, opening by 2 valves 

 or irregularly ; [lowers perfect, solitary to clustered ; herbs or shrubs with 

 opposite, alternate or whorled, entire leaves. 



Lythrum Linne 1753 Loosestrife 

 (Gr. lythvon, blood, from the color) 



Characters of the family. 

 Stems 1-4 ft. high; leaves lance-oblong, 1-3 cm. long; 



flowers 6-10 mm. wide L. aldtum 



ONAGRACEAE EVENING PRIMROSE FAMILY 



Sepals usually 4, rarely 2-6, united into a calyx grown to the ovary 

 and often prolonged into a tube beyond it, petals usually 4, rarely 2-9 or 

 none, separate, stamens usually 2, 4 or 8, ovary usually 4-celled, rarely 

 1-6-celled, stigma globose, disk-like or 4-lobed, ovules many, fruit a cap- 

 sule or nut ; flowers solitary or clustered, usually axillary ; annual or peren- 

 nial herbs, rarely shrubs, with alternate or opposite leaves. 

 1. Petals 4 



a. Stigma 4-lobed 



(1) Flowers white, pink or red 



(a) Fruit 4-celled, many-seeded, splitting 



when ripe 

 x. Flowers red or rose-purple ; seeds hairy 

 (x) Calyx-tube extending above the 



ovary; style straight Xauschneria 



(y) Calyx-tube not extending above the 



ovary; style recurved at first Chamaenerium 

 y. Flowers white to pink 



(x) Stamens equal in length Axogra 



(y) Stamens of two lengths 

 m. Leafy-stemmed; leaves 1-2 cm. 



long; flowers 2-2.5 cm. wide Haurella 



n. Stemless or nearly so; leaves 3-10 



in. long; flowers 2-6 in. wide Pachvlophus 



(b) Fruit small, closed, 1-4-seeded; flowers 



1-sided Gaura 



