twisted.—Peduncles axillary or opposite the leaves, many- (rarely 2-) flowered
: flowers umbellate. Cotyledons sometimes pinnately lobed.
p\c^ aT^um (L’Her.): stem prostrate, or diffuse, hairy; leaves pin-
nately divided; segments sessile, pinnatifid, incised or acute; peduncles many
[or few-] flowered; petals unequal. DC. prodr. 1. p. 646; Hook.fi.
Bor.-Am. 1. p. 116; Hook. Am. in hot. Beechey, p. 136. Geranium
cicutarium, Linn.
Oregon & California, common, Nuttall! <£c.—“ Certainly not introduced.” Nutt.
Or d e r X XIX . BALSAMINACEJE. A. Richard.
Sepals 5, deciduous; the two inner (or upper) usually connate; the
lowest spurred or gibbous : aestivation imbricated. Petals hypogy-
nous, usually 4 (5, but the fifth or posterior one abortive) and united
by pairs ; rarely 5 and distinct. Stamens 5, hypogynous : filaments
subulate : anthers 2-celled. Ovary 5-celled [placentte in the axis],
ovules usually numerous, rarely few in each cell, suspended : stigmas
5, sessile, distinct or more or less united. Fruit capsular, 5-celled (the
dissepiments usually disappearing), 5-valved, elastically septifragal;
or [in Hydrocera, Blume] a 5-celled drupe. Seeds several in each
cell [anatropous], destitute of albumen. Embryo stra ig h t: cotyledons
plano-convex.—Succulent herbaceous plants. Leaves simple, opposite
or alternate, exstipulate. Flowers axillary. A m .
1. IMPATIENS. L in n .; W. <f Am.prodr. Ind. Or. 1. p. 135.
Impatiens & Balsamina, Riv.« DC.
Sepals apparently only 4 from the union of the two upper ones. Petals 4,.
apparently only two from the union of each of the lower to each of the lateral
ones. Filaments 5, more or less united; at the apex: anthers opening
longitudinally or transversely. Cells of the ovary formed by membranous
projections of the placentae, which occupy the axis of the ovary and are connected
with its apex by 5 slender threads. Capsule often 1-celled by the
disappearance of the dissepiments. Seeds numerous or few. Am.
§. Leaves alternate: peduncles more than 1-flowered. ( Glabrousi
stems transparent, tumid at the joints.)
1 .1. pallida (Nutt.): leaves oval or ovate, coarsely and obtusely serrate ;
teeth mucronate; peduncles 2-4-flowered; lower sepal obtusely conic, dilated,
shorter than the petals, broader than long, with a Very short recurved
spur; flowers pale yellow, sparingly punctate.—Nutt. gen. 1. p. 146; DC.
prodr. l.p . 637; Hook.fl. Bor-Am. 1. p. 117. I. nolitangere, Michx.! fl. 2.
p . 149 («.); Pursh, fl. 1. p. 171; Ell. sk. l.p . 303.
In moist shady places, Canada! to Georgia & west to Kentucky! (Oregon,
Hooker.) July-Sept.— © Stem 2-5 feet high, much branched. Leaves
mostly obtuse at the base, on short petioles. Flower large.—Balsam. Snap-
weed.
2. I.fu lva (Nutt.): somewhat glaucous; leaves rhombic-ovate, coarsely
and obtusely serrate, teeth mucronate; peduncles 2-4-flowered ; lower sepal
acutely conic, longer than the petals, with a rather long resupinate spur;
flower deep orange, with numerous reddish-brown spots.—Nutt. 1. c.; DC.
1. c.; Hook. 1. c. I. biflora, Walt. Car.p. 219; Pursh, l. c. ; Ell. sk. 1. p.
304. I. nolitangere, /?. Michx.! 1. c .; Bigel.fl. Bost. ed. 2. p. 93. I. macu-
lata, Muhl. cat. p. 26.
In wet shady places, from Canada ! (lat. 66°) and Newfoundland (Hooker)
to Georgia; more abundant than the preceding in the Northern States.
Oregon, Dr. Scouler ! Nuttall! June-Sept.— (£) A smaller plant than I.
pallida, with smaller flowers. Leaves mostly cuneiform at the base, on
slender petioles. Lower sepal longer than broad.—Balsam. Snap-weed.
Or d e r X XX . LIMNANTHACEiE. R. Br.
Sepals 3 -5 , united at the base, persistent, with a valvate aestivation.
Petals 3 -5 , marcescent. Stamens twice the number o f the petals, and
inserted with them upon a thin somewhat perigynous disk : filaments
distinct, those opposite the sepals having a small process or gland at
the base on the outside, those opposite the petals sometimes shortest:
anthers roundish, introrse. Ovary consisting o f 2 -5 distinct carpels,
opposite the sepals; the styles united into one nearly to the top : stigmas
simple. Achenia rather fleshy, the cavity filled by the solitary
seed. Seed erect, anatropous, without albumen. Embryo with very
large amygdaloid cotyledons; radicle very short, included.—Annual
glabrous herbs (exclusively North American), with more or less o f the
acrid taste o f Tropseolum, growing in swampy places. Leaves alternate,
exstipulate, pinnately divided. Flowers axillary, solitary : peduncles
somewhat dilated at the apex.
The ovaries in this order have a gynobasic structure ; that is, are more or less
distinct, with the styles united by means of a more or less manifest central axis,
which is a prolongation of the flattened torus on which the ovaries rest. The order
is evidently more nearly allied to Tropaolum than to any other known plants.
1. LIMNANTHES. R . Br. in Land. <Sj- Edinb.phil. mag. July, 1833 ;
Lindl. bot. reg. 1.1673'.
Sepals 5. Petals 5, cuneiform, retuse, longer than the sepals: aestivation
convolute. Stamens 10. Ovaries 5.—Leaves bipinnatifid; the divisions
often alternate.
L. Douglasii (R. Brown, 1. c.)—Benth. in. hort. trans. ( ser. 2.) 1 p. 409.
Don, in B rit.fl. gard. {ser. 2.) t. 378.
California, Douglas.—Slightly succulent. Flowers rather conspicuous.
Petals of a delicate yellow at the base, bordered with white.
27