278 



THE OENOTHERA FAMILY. 



ing or the following species, nor extending so far to the north. Scattered 

 over several parts of Britain, but being often confounded with the broad 

 E. or the hoary E., its real distribution is very uncertain. El. sum- 

 mer. Specimens in which the stigma is slightly lobed have been dis- 

 tinguished under the name of E. lanceolatum (Eng. Bot. Suppl. t. 2935, 

 the style much more lobed than it should be). 



Square Epilobe. Epilobmni tetragonum, Linn. 

 (Fig. 341.) 



(Eng. Bot. t. 1948. E. obscurum, Bab. Man.) 



Stems erect, often much branched, 1 

 to 2 feet high, glabrous, or hoary with 

 a very short down, and more or less 

 angular from raised lines descending on 

 each side from the margins of the leaves ; 

 the autumnal offsets often long and 

 threadlike, with a fleshy bud at the ex- 

 tremity, more rarely short and scaly or 

 leafy, as in the broad E. Leaves ses- 

 sile or nearly so, narrow, and toothed. 

 Flowers small, in terminal leafy racemes, 

 the buds erect, the petals deeply notched. 

 Stigma entire and club-shaped. Pod 

 often very long. 



In wet ditches and watery places, 

 throughout Europe, Russian Asia, and 

 a portion of North America, and ex- 

 tending to the Arctic Circle. Common 

 in Britain, excepting in the north of 

 Scotland. El. summer. Specimens with filiform scions have been dis- 

 tinguished under the name of E. virgatum. 



Fig. 341. 



7. Marsh Epilobe. Epilolbium palustre, Linn. (Fig. 342.) 



(Eng. Bot. t. 346.) 



Yery near the aljpine E., and by some believed to be a lowland form 

 of it. It has the same slender scions, entire or not much toothed 

 leaves, short terminal racemes, small flowers, nodding buds, and club- 

 shaped, undivided stigma ; but its stature is taller, often a foot or even 

 two in height, and the leaves are longer and much narrower, often 



