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Lythrum Salicaria. Purple-spiked Loosestrife. 
LYTHRUM Lin. Gen. PL Dodecandria Monogytjia. 
Cal. 12 fidus. Petala 6. calyci inferta. Caps. i. locularis, polyfperma. 
Rati Syn. Gen. 25. Herbie hexapetal.® et polypetalje vasculifera:. 
LYTHRUM Salicaria foliis oppofitis cordato lanceolatis floribus fpicatis dodecandris. Lin. Syjl. Vegetal. 
p. 371. Spec, plant. 640. FI. Suec. n. 422. 
SALICARIA foliis lanceolatis, fubhirfutis, floribus fpicatis. Haller, hifi. 
LYTHRUM Salicaria. Scopoli FI. Cam. n. 565. Lyjimachia fplcata purpurea. Bauh. pin. 246. ’ 
SALICARIA vulgaris purpurea foliis oblongis. 7 o«r«. Jnji. Raii Syn. p. 367. Purple fpiked Willow- 
herb, or Loofe-ftrife. 
LYSIMACHIA purpurea Ger. emac. 476. Parkinfon. 546. Hudfon. FI. Angl. ed. 2. p. 206. Lightfooi, 
Fl. Scot. p. 206. 
RADIX perennis, crafla, ramofa, fublignofa, in latum 
exteiifa. 
CAULIS bipedalis ad tripedalem, ereflus, inferne gla- 
ber, tetragonus, fuperne pubefeens, pentago- 
nus : angulis acutis, membranaceis, fcabris, 
ramofis. 
RAMI fuperiores fparfi ; inferiores oppofiti, tetragoni, 
fcabri, minutim pubefeentes, eredi, breviuf- 
culi, frequentes. 
ROOT perennial, thick, branched, fomewhat woody, 
widely extended. 
STALK from two to three feet high, upright, below 
fmooth, four-cornered ; angles fharp, mem- 
branous and rough ; branched. 
BRANCHES; the upper ones placed without any 
order ; the lower ones oppofite, four-cornered, 
rough, and flightly downy, upright, fhort- 
ifh, and numerous. 
FOLIA fefiilia, amplexicaulia, lanceolata, acuta, tri- 
pollicaria, fupra glabra, fubtus minutim pu- 
befeentia, fcabrlulcula, venofa, margine Ica- 
bra, patentia ; inferiora oppofita, fuperiora 
fparfa, ramea oppofita. 
SPICiE terminales, cylindricae, e glomeribus florum 
compofitte, conglomeribus remotiufculis, cir- 
citer odofloris, bradea fulcitis. 
BRACTE.^ glomerum folitaris, ovats, longius acutas, 
fubtus villofae, calycibus longiores, fubpur- 
pureffi ; florum lineari-fubulatae, parviufculae. 
CALYX: Periatjthium tubulatum, turbinato-cylln- 
dricum, ftriatum, hirUitum; ore truncato, 
12 fido: laciniis purpurafeentibus ; quarum 
fex altern* fubulatas, hirfutiE, eredae ; fex 
alize alternae parvas, ovato acutiufculas, in- 
flexae, concaviE, apice minutim barbatae, i. 
COROLLA purpurea: Petala 6, cunelformi-oblonga, 
obtufo rotundata, ereda, calyce longiora, 
margine calycis intra lacinias calycis longiores 
inferta, patentia. Petala ante eruptionem 
calycis tubo intrufa funt et recondita; hinc 
pollmodum erumpunt et quafi e calyce extra- 
huntur. jig. 2. 
STAMINA: Filamenta 12, fubulata, albida, calycis 
parieti intra tubum inferta, quorum fex lon- 
giora tubo calycis paulo longiora; 6 breviora 
intra tubum recondita ; Antheree inferiores 
ovatae, luteas, incumbentes, fuperiores pur- 
pureas. fig. 3. 
PISTILLUM: Germen fuperum, ovatum, acutum, 
utrinque fulcatum, glabrum, virldefcens ; 
Stylus cylindricus, albus, corolla vix longior; 
Stigma capitatum. /5-. 4. 
PERICARPIUM : Capsula oblonga, teda, bllocularis. 
pg. 5. 6. 
SEMINA plurima, minima, fig. 7. 
iciiue, eraoracmg tbe Itaik, lanceolate, 
pointed ; about three inches long, above 
fmooth, underneath flightly downy, rough- 
ifh, and veiny, fpreading ; the lower ones 
oppofite, the upper Ones placed without any 
regular order, thofe of the branches oppofite. 
SPIKES terminal, cylindrical, compofed of clufters of 
flowers, which are placed at a little dillance 
from each other, and confift of about eight 
flowers fupported by a floral leaf. 
FLORAL-LEAVES of the clujlers folitary, oval with 
a long point, underneath villous, longer than 
the flower-cups, and purplifh, thofe of the 
flowers fmall, nearly linear, and running out 
to a point. 
CALYX: a Perianthium tubular, cylindrical but 
wideft at top_, firiated, hirfute, the mouth as 
if cut off", divided into twelve purplilh feg- 
ments, fi-x of which run out to a long point, 
are hirfute and upright, the other fix which 
are alternate with the prc-cedhig fix are fmall, 
ovate, pointed, bend inward over the flump, 
are hollow and minutely bearded at top. fig, i, 
COROLLA purple. Petals 6, of an oblong wedge 
fhape, blunt at the extremity, upright and 
longer than the calyx, inferted into the edge 
of the calyx betwixt its longefl: fegments, and 
fpreading, the Petals, before they break out, 
areas it were thruft into and hid in the tube 
of the calyx, from whence they afterwards 
burfl forth, and are as it were drawn out of 
^ the calyx. Jig. 2. 
I STAMINA: 12 Filaments, tapering and whitifh, in- 
I ferted into the infide of the calyx, of which 
? the fix longefl are fomewhat longer than the 
I tube of the calyx, and the fix fhortefl hid 
^ within the tube; Anther.® ovate and in- 
? cumbent, the lowermofl yellow, the upper- 
I moil: purple, fig. 3, 
? PISTILLUM : Germen above the calyx, ovate, polnt- 
I ed, with a groove on each fide, fmooth, green- 
j ilh; Style cylindrical, white, fcarce longer 
I than the Corolla ; Stigma forming a little 
! head. ‘ 
? SEED-VESSEL : an oblong Capfule, covered by the 
I calyx, of two cavities, fg. 5. 6. 
SEEDS numerous and very fmall. Jig. 7. 
The beautiful long fpikes of purple flowers which this plant plentifully produces during the latter part of the 
Summer, render it a confpicuous ornament on the banks of rivers, ponds, ditches, &c, where it grow’s almofl 
unlverfally in this country; brought into the garden it flourifhes without any trouble, and is a very proper plant 
to grace the fhrubbery. 
Its qualities appear to be of the aftringent kind, hence it has been recommended by De Haen in long pro- 
traded Diarrheas and Dyfenteries. Vid. rat. med. part._ 4. p. 195. 
It generally remains untouched by cattle, I have this year obferved its leaves very much eaten by the Cater- 
pillar of a Trenihedo. 
The ftrudure of the blofibm is Angularly curious, and will amply repay the botanifl the trouble of difleding it. 
1 have noticed a variety with three leaves at a joint, in W'hich the flalk was hexagonal. 
