The Manual of the Botany of the Northern United States Part 111

Tribe II. PRIMULEae. Ovary wholly free.

[*] Stemless, leaves all in a cl.u.s.ter from the root; capsule dehiscent by valves or teeth.

2. Dodecatheon. Corolla reflexed, 5-parted. Stamens exserted, connivent in a cone.

3. Primula. Corolla funnel-form or salver-shaped, open at the throat.

Stamens included.

4. Androsace. Corolla short, very small, constricted at the throat.

Stamens included.

[*][*] Stems leafy; corolla rotate (none in Glaux); leaves entire.

[+] Capsule dehiscent vertically by valves or irregularly, mostly globose.

5. Trientalis. Corolla mostly 7-parted. Stem leafy only at the summit.

6. Steironema. Corolla 5-parted. Five slender staminodia between the fertile stamens.

7. Lysimachia. Corolla 5--6-parted or 5--6-petalled. Staminodia none.

Leaves dotted.

8. Glaux. Corolla none; the calyx petal-like. Flowers axillary.

[+][+] Globose capsule circ.u.mscissile, the top falling off as a lid; flowers axillary.

9. Anagallis. Corolla longer than the calyx, 5-parted. Leaves opposite.

10. Centunculus. Corolla shorter than the calyx, 4--5-cleft. Leaves alternate.

Tribe III. SAMOLEae. Ovary connate at base with the base of the calyx.

11. Samolus. Corolla bell-shaped, with 5 staminodia in the sinuses.

Flowers racemose.

1. HOTTNIA, L. FEATHERFOIL. WATER VIOLET.

Calyx 5-parted, the divisions linear. Corolla salver-shaped, with a short tube; limb 5-parted. Stamens 5, included. Capsule many-seeded, 5-valved; the valves cohering at the base and summit. Seeds anatropous.--Aquatic perennials, with pectinate immersed leaves, and the erect hollow flower-stems almost leafless. Flowers white or whitish, whorled at the joints, forming an interrupted raceme. (Named for _Prof.

Hotton_, a botanist of Leyden.)

1. H. inflata, Ell. Leaves dissected into thread-like divisions, scattered on the floating and rooting stems, and crowded at the base of the cl.u.s.ter of peduncles, which are strongly inflated between the joints (often as thick as one's finger); pedicels short.--Pools and ditches, Ma.s.s. to S. Ind., and south to the Gulf. June--Aug.

2. DODECaTHEON, L. AMERICAN COWSLIP.

Calyx deeply 5-cleft, the divisions lanceolate, reflexed. Corolla with a very short tube, thickened throat, and 5-parted reflexed limb; the divisions long and narrow. Filaments short, monadelphous at base; anthers long and linear, approximate in a slender cone.--Perennial smooth herb, with fibrous roots, a cl.u.s.ter of oblong or spatulate leaves, and a simple naked scape, involucrate with small bracts at the summit, bearing an ample umbel of showy flowers, nodding on slender pedicels. Corolla rose-color, or sometimes white. (Name from d?de?a, _twelve_, and ?e??, _G.o.ds_, given by Pliny to the primrose, which was believed to be under the care of the superior G.o.ds.)

1. D. Meadia, L. (SHOOTING-STAR.) Rich woods, Penn. and Md. to Wisc., south to Ga. and Tex. May, June.--Very handsome in cultivation.

3. PRiMULA, L. PRIMROSE. COWSLIP.

Calyx tubular, angled, 5-cleft. Corolla salver-shaped, enlarging above the insertion of the stamens; the 5 lobes often notched or inversely heart-shaped. Stamens 5, included. Capsule many-seeded, splitting at the top into 5 valves or 10 teeth.--Low perennial herbs, producing a tuft of veiny leaves at the root, and simple scapes, bearing the flowers in an umbel. (Name a diminutive of _primus_, from the flowering of the true Primrose in early spring.)

1. P. farinsa, L. (BIRD'S-EYE PRIMROSE.) Scape 3--10' high; leaves elliptical or obovate-lanceolate, denticulate, _the lower side_ and the 3--20-flowered _involucre, etc., covered with a white mealiness_, at least when young; corolla pale lilac with a yellow eye.--Maine to N.

sh.o.r.e of L. Superior, and northward. June, July. (Eu., Asia.)

2. P. Mista.s.sinica, Michx. Scape 2--6' high; leaves spatulate or wedge-oblong, thin and veiny, _not mealy_; involucre 1--8-flowered; lobes of the flesh-colored corolla broadly and deeply obcordate.--Wet banks and sh.o.r.es, northern N. Eng. and N. Y. to L. Superior, and northward. May. (Eu.)

4. ANDRoSACE, Tourn.

Calyx 5-cleft; tube short. Corolla salver-shaped or funnel-form; the tube shorter than the calyx, contracted at the throat; limb 5-parted.

Stamens and style included. Capsule 5-valved.--Small herbs, with cl.u.s.tered root-leaves, and very small solitary or umbelled flowers. (An ancient Greek name of a polyp, formerly believed to be a plant.)

1. A. occidentalis, Pursh. Smoothish annual; scapes diffuse (2--4'

high), many-flowered; leaves and leaflets of the involucre oblong-ovate, entire, sessile; calyx-lobes leafy, triangular-lanceolate, longer than the (white) corolla.--Bare hills, from Minn. to Ill. and Ark., and west to the mountains.

5. TRIENTaLIS, L. CHICKWEED-WINTERGREEN.

Calyx mostly 7-parted; the divisions linear-lanceolate, pointed. Corolla mostly 7-parted, spreading, flat, without tube. Filaments slender, united in a ring at the base; anthers oblong, revolute after flowering.

Capsule few-seeded.--Low and smooth perennials, with simple erect stems, bearing a few alternate usually minute and scale-like leaves below, and a whorl of thin veiny leaves at the summit. Peduncles one or more, very slender, bearing a delicate white and star-shaped flower. (A Latin name, meaning the third part of a foot, alluding to the height of the plant.)

1. T. Americana, Pursh. (STAR-FLOWER.) Spreading by very slender elongated rootstocks; leaves elongated-lanceolate, tapering to both ends; petals finely pointed.--Damp cold woods, from Lab. to Minn., south to N. Ind., and the mountains of Va. May.--Rootstocks often 1--2 long (_Hitchings_).

6. STEIRONeMA, Raf.

Calyx 5-parted. Corolla rotate, with no proper tube, deeply 5-parted, the sinuses rounded; divisions ovate, cuspidate-pointed, erose-denticulate above, each separately involute around its stamen.

Filaments distinct or nearly so on the ring at base of corolla, alternating with 5 subulate staminodia; anthers linear. Capsule 10--20-seeded.--Leafy-stemmed perennials, glabrous except the ciliate petioles, not punctate, the leaves all opposite, but mostly in seeming whorls on the flowering branches. Peduncles slender, axillary, bearing yellow flowers. (From ste????, _sterile_, and ??a, _thread_, referring to the staminodia.)

1. S. ciliatum, Raf. _Stem erect_ (2--4 high); _leaves lanceolate-ovate_ (2--6' long), tapering to an acute point, _rounded or heart-shaped at base_, all on long and fringed petioles; _corolla longer than the calyx_. (Lysimachia ciliata, _L._)--Low grounds and thickets, common. July.

2. S. radcans, Gray. _Stem slender, soon reclined_, the elongated branches often rooting in the mud; _leaves ovate-lanceolate, mostly rounded at base, on slender petioles_; corolla about the length of the calyx. (Lysimachia radicans, _Hook._)--Swampy river-banks, W. Va. to Ark. and La.--Leaves and flowers nearly one half smaller than in the last.

3. S. lanceolatum, Gray. _Stem erect_ (10'--2 high); _leaves lanceolate, varying to oblong and linear, narrowed into a short margined petiole_ or tapering base, or the lowest short and broad on long petioles. (Lysimachia lanceolata, _Walt._)--Low grounds and thickets, Ont. to Fla., Dak., and Tex. Polymorphous; the extremes are var.

HBRIDUM, Gray, with cauline leaves from oblong to broadly linear, common north and west,--and var. ANGUSTIFLIUM, Gray, with stems more branched, a span to 2 high, and the cauline leaves linear, acute at both ends, more sessile, 1--2" broad; mainly southward.

4. S. longiflium, Gray. _Stem erect_, 4-angled, slender (1--3 high), often branched below; _stem-leaves sessile, narrowly linear, elongated_ (2--4' long, 2--3" wide), smooth and shining, rather rigid, obtuse, the margins often a little revolute, the veins obscure; the lowest oblong or spatulate; corolla (8--9" broad) longer than the calyx, the lobes conspicuously pointed. (Lysimachia longifolia, _Pursh._)--Banks of streams, from western N. Y. to Va., Minn., and Iowa. July--Sept.

7. LYSIMaCHIA, Tourn. LOOSESTRIFE.

Calyx 5--6 parted. Corolla rotate, the divisions entire, convolute in bud. Filaments commonly monadelphous at base; anthers oblong or oval; staminodia none. Capsule few--several-seeded.--Leafy-stemmed perennials, with herbage commonly glandular-dotted. (In honor of King _Lysimachus_, or from ??s??, _a release from_, and ???, _strife_.)

-- 1. LYSIMACHIA proper. _Corolla yellow, rotate, and very deeply parted, and with no teeth between the lobes; stamens more or less monadelphous, often unequal; leaves opposite or whorled, or some abnormally alternate._