WATER PURSLANE, 
Parts of the Purple Loosestrife. 
petal calyx & stamens pistil fruits 
PURPLE 
LOOSE- 
STRIFE, 
LYTHRUM 
SAL! CAR! A . 
LOOSESTRIFE FAMILY (ORDERxxxi,LYTHRAR1E/E.) 
CALYX of 4-10 SEPALS, as many or twice as many as tire 
petals, united into a tube &. separating into 440 teeth, when 
more than 8 in 2 rows, remaining with the fruit (persistent), 
inserted under the seedcase (hypogynous). 
COROLLA of 4-5 PETALS , rarely more, crumpled in 
bud. inserted on the top of the calyx- tube eperigynous), 
sometimes absent. 
STAMENS as many or twice or thrice as many as 
hie petals, inserted in the upper part of the calyx-tube 
(perigyoous), usually below the petals. 
PISTIL of 2 6 CARPELS, uni ted into a seedcase (ovary) 
& terminating in a single style sometimes very short, 
&a simple or 2-lobed stigma. 
BRUIT a capsule with as many cells as carpels, 
often i-celted by the drying up of the parti tions, 
many- seeded, opening from the top by valves, en- 
closed in, but not united with the calyx-tube. 
FLOWERS white, yellow, bluish or red, solitary or in 
cluster's i racemes, spiKes, etc.). 
LEAVES usually opposite, entire, & without stipules. 
DISTINGUISHED BY the 
sepals being twice as 
A ’ ' many as the petals c in 
5 ~V ' the British species), tire 
Vfe stamens being inserted 
hdi 9 in the calyx-tube, which 
^ encloses but is not unit- 
ed with the fruit, by the 
entire leaves, the Lower 
ones always opposite. 
PET v * ^ 
PORTUL/ 
i 
