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IOWA ACADEMY OP SCIENCE 
of the height of a man, and of a strong bigge size almost to a man’s thumbe, 
round from the bottome to the middle, where it groweth crested up to the toppe, 
into a^ many parts as there are branches of flowers, every one having a small 
leafe at the foote thereof; the flowers stand in order, one above another, round 
about the tops of the stalks, every one upon a short foot-stalke, consisting of 
foure pale yellow leaves, smelling somewhat like unto a Primrose, as the colour 
is also (which hath caused the name) and standing in a greene huske, which 
parteth it selfe at the toppe into foure parts or leaves, and turne themselves 
downewards, lying close to the stalke: the flower hath some chives in the 
middle, which being past, there come in their places long and cornered pods, 
Sharpe pointed at the upper end, and round belowe, opening at the toppe when 
it is ripe into flve [?] parts, wherein is contained small brownish seed; the 
roote is somew'hat great at the head, and wooddy, and branched forth diversely, 
which perisheth after it hath borne seeds.” 
He also states that the plant ‘ ' came out of Virginia. ’ ’ 
This is very evidently the same plant as the Lysimachia lutea corni- 
ciilata of Banhin, though an independent description. 
Robert Morison in his Plant arum Historia Universalis Oxouiensis, 
Yol. II., published at Oxford in 1680, used the description of Banhin 
as the basis for his description of the same plant. Many parts are re- 
peated word for word, even one or two errors being perpetuated in this 
way;* but there are also a number of minor changes in the order of 
description and in the order of \vords, several additions tending to 
complete the description, and one or two corrections. These will be 
seen on comparing the Latin of the two descriptions. Morison ’s de- 
scription of this and a second (small-flowered) species (p. 271) is as 
follows : 
LysimacMa lutea corniculata non papposa. 
7. Lysimachia lutea corniculata non papposa Virginiana major, nobis. Lysi- 
machia lutea corniculata C. B. P. Lysimachia siliquosa Virginiana, Park. Haec 
Lysimachia peregrina non multis abhinc annis ex Virginia aliisque Americae 
Septentrionalis partibus, seminibus in Angliam delata & hie sata, ad cubitalem 
& bicubitalem aliquando altitudinem provenit: folia habet prima glauca, longa, 
orbiculariter per terram strata, sinuata, mucronata, palmum superantia, lati- 
tudine vix unciam excedentia quae sunt crassa, laevia, pallide virentia, & 
in acutum mucronem desinentia, per quorum medium costa alba, ut in Lysi- 
machia Chamaenerion dicta, excurrit: praedicta folia exeunt ex radice longa, 
alba, digitalem crassitudinem superante, panels flbris capillata; caulis exsurgit 
initio rotundus, at supra medium ob plurimos ramos angulosus, subcinereus, 
laevis statimque in breviores, mox majores qui rotundi paucissimis pilis donati, 
hinc inde parvis maculis rubentibus variegati, ex quibus tanquam ex poris 
pilus exilit. Ex alarum sinubus pediculus articulatus & rotundus prodit, cujus 
pars supra articulum triuncialis, flstulosa, cui flos magnus, flavus, quatuor 
petalis constans, extra folia effertur, qui cum primo florere incipit, quadrangulus 
est, quo aperto vel sole tantum lucente in ejus medio stilus conspicitur, qui 
