114 MelaiUhacearum America Septentrionalis Revisio. 



3. LEIMANTH1UM- Willd. 



Flores plerumque (abortu ovarii) polygami. Perianthi* 

 foliola stellato-patentia, petaloidea, basi biglandulosa; unguibus 

 staminiferis. Stamina 6: filamenta perianthii ibliolis bre- 

 viora, unguibus plus minus accreta. Antherje reniformes, 

 sinum affixes, vix extrorsae (loculis apice connatis et confluen- 

 tibus), post dehiscentiam clypeolatffi. Ovaria 3, angulis in- 

 ternis coalita, pluriovulata, stylis brevibus subulata : stigmata 

 simplicia, minuta. Capsula ovata (membranacea, turgida,) 

 triloba, tripartibilis ; carpellis follicularibus 4 — 10-spermis, in- 

 tus (superne praesertim) dehiscentibus. Semina compressa, 

 late membranaceo-alata. 



Caules plerique superne puberuli, elati : folia lineariavel 

 lanceolata, elongata, (rarius latiora et quasi petiolata) : panicula 

 pyramidata, e racemis multifloris plerisque simplicibus (imis 

 quandoque compositis) : flores ochroleuci vel flavo-virentes, 

 demiim luridi : pedicelli bracteis saepius brevibus stipati. 



Leimanthium, " Willd. in mag. nalurf.fr. 2, p. 24," 

 (excl. spec.) ; Roem. &f Schult. syst. 7, p. 10tt. 



Melanthii species, Linn, et axict. 



Melanthium, Michx. fl. 2, p. 251 ; Nult. gen. 1. p. 232 ; 

 Ell hot. S. Car. Sf Georg. l.p. 418; Torr.fi. 1, p. 367. 



Obs. Genus a Melantbio (Prom. Bona Spei) abunde di- 

 versum, inflorescentia. paniculato-racemosa,pedicellisbracteatis, 

 floribus plerisque polygamis, perianthio persistente, antheris 

 unilocularibus, seminibus alatis, etc. 



