In swamps, &c. Virginia! and N. Carolina! to Florida! Louisiana!
and Arkansas! July-Sept.—Stem about 2 feet high. Leaves mostly biglan-
dular at the base. Pedicels with 2 cordate glands near the middle.—The
depauperate variety was collected near Fayetteville, N. Carolina, by Dr.
McRea. 7
Jussioea subacaulis of Pursh is CEnothera heterantha, Nutt.
11. LUDWIGIA. Linn. gen. p. 60 ; Lam. ill. t. 77 ; Ell. sk. l .p . 214.
Ludwigia & Isnaidia, Linn. <fc. (also Ludwigia, DC.)
Calyx-tube prismatic or cylindrical, or somewhat turbinate, mostly short,
not prolonged beyond the ovary ; the lobes 4, mostly persistent. Petals 4,
often minute or wanting. Stamens 4, opposite the lobes of the calyx.
Apex of the ovary either truncate or flatfish, or crowned with the pyramidal
or often depressed persistent 4-lobed base of the style (stylopodium) : style
short : stigma capitate, often 4-furrowed or lobed. Capsule short, or rarely
elongated, 4-celled, often opening by the separation or perforation of the
stylopodium, at length 4-valved. Seeds very numerous.—Perennial or
rarely annual herbs, growing in wet places. Leaves alternate or opposite,
entire; the veinlets often confluent along the margins, so as to form an
intramarginal vein. Flowers axillary, or sometimes spicate or capitate at
the extremity of the stem or branches.
§ 1. Leaves alternate, sessile : capsules short, truncate 'at the apex, or crowned
with a depressed stylopodium.—Euiudwigia. (Isnardia, DC. partly).
* Flowers large, pedicellate : petals conspicuous : stylopodium large, depressed.
1. L. alternifolia (Linn.): minutely puberulent or almost glabrous;
stem erect, slightly angled, branching; leaves lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate,
rather acute, attenuate at the base and almost petioled ; flowers axillary,
solitary, pedicelled ; pedicels bibracteolate above the middle ; petals scarcely
the length of the large ovate acuminate spreading lobes of the calyx ; capsules
shorter than the calyx, subglobose-cubical, with winged angles.——
Linn. spec. 1. p. 118 ; Lam. ill. t. 77 ; Ell. sic. 1. p. 217 ; Bigel. ! fi. Bost.
ed. 2. p. 60. L. ramosissima, Walt. Car.p. 89. L. macrocarpa, Michx. ! fi.
1- P- 89 ; Torr. ! fi. 1. p. 180 ; Bart. fl. N. Amer. 1.14. L. salicifolia, Poir. ?
L . aurantiaca, R a f. in med. rep. 11. p. 358. L . uniflora, Rafi l. c. ? Isnardia
alternifolia, DC. ! prodr. 3. p. 122. Rhexia linearifolia, Poir. fide DC.
In swamps, Canada ! to Florida ! and Arkansas ! July-Sept.—Stem
2 - 3 feet high. Leaves 1—3 inches long, with distinct intramarginal veins.
Pedicels 3—4 lines long. Flowers large, yellow. Calyx-lobes very large
and broad, often purple or reddish within. Anthers very short. Stigma
large. Capsule (as also in L. hirtella and virgata) opening first by a hole
left by the falling away of the style, afterwards by the séparation of the
stylopodium or summit of the capsule, which at length often falls in pieces
by loeulicidal dehiscence.—Bastard Loosestrife.
2. L. hirtella (Raf.) : hirsute ; stem erect, scarcely angled ; leaves
(mostly short) ovate-oblong, the upper ones lanceolate or oblong-linear,
closely sessile, obtuse ; flowers (large) axillary, solitary, on distinct pedicels,
bibracteolate; petals scarcely longer than the ovate-lanceolate somewhat
spreading lobes of the calyx; capsules villous, subglobose-cubical, with
slightly winged angles, equalling or often shorter than the lobes of the
calyx.—Raf. in med. rep. New York, 11. p. 358 ; Ram. Sp Schult. syst. 3.
p. 327. L. hirsuta, Pursh, fi. 1. p. 110, not of Lam.! L. pilosa, E ll.! sk.
1. p. 216; Torr.! fi. 1. p. 181; not of Walt.! L. permollis, B a rt.fi.
Philad. 1. p. 52. Isnardia hirsuta, Hook. Sp Am. in compan. to bot. mag. 1.
p. 26, not of DC. !
In moist places, sometimes in nearly dry sandy fields, New Jersey! to
Florida! and Louisiana! June-Sept.—Stem somewhat woody at the
base, 1-2 feet high, simple or sparingly branched, hirsute with long spreading
hairs. Leaves rather crowded, 1-2 inches long, or often smaller, obtuse
or rounded at the base and closely sessile, hirsute on both sides. Flowers
mostly smaller than in L. virgata, bright yellow ; the pedicels shorter than
the capsule. Anthers linear-oblong.—Certainly distinct from L. virgata.
We have ascertained that this species is not the L. pilosa of Walter, as was
supposed, neither is it L. hirsuta of Lamarck (both these authors having
described the L. mollis, Michx.): hence we are under the necessity of describing
it under a different name.
3. L. virgata (Michx.): minutely puberulent; stem erect, angled above ;
lower leaves oval or oblong; the upper linear, mostly elongated, obtuse,
closely sessile ; flowers (very large) axillary, on slender pedicels, which are
bibracteolate near the summit; petals larger than the ovate reflexed lobes of
the calyx ; capsules subglobose-cubical, with -winged angles, about the length
of the lobes of the calyx.—Michx.! fi. l .p . 8 9 / Pursh, fi. l . p . 110 ; Ell.
1. c. ? Isnardia virgata, D C .! prodr. 3. p. 60.
In rather dry places, S. Carolina! to Florida! and Louisiana! May-
Sept.—Stem 2-4 feet high, often with virgate branches. Lower leaves about
an inch long; the upper mostly 2-3 inches long and 2-3 lines wide, with distinct
intramarginal veins. Flowers few, yellow. Capsule about 4 lines
broad.—The description of Elliott’s L. virgata appears to be taken in part
from L. hirtella.
* * Flowers sessile, mostly small: petals often minute or wanting : stylopodium
small, or none.
4. L. linearis (Walt.): glabrous; stem erect, slender, sometimes branched,
often stoloniferous at the base, angled above; leaves narrowly lanceolate or
linear, acute at each end; flowers axillary, solitary, sessile, rarely apetalous;
bracteoles very minute; lobes of the calyx triangular-ovate, much shorter
than the capsule, scarcely the length of the oblong-obovate (pale yellow)
petals; capsules elongated-turbinate and 4-sided.— Walt.! Car.p. 89; E ll.!
sk. l .p . 214. L. angustifolia, Michx. ! fi. l .p . 88. Isnardia linearis, DC.!
prodr. 3. p. 60.
In swamps, Wading River, New Jersey! to Georgia! Florida! and
Louisiana ! July-Sept.—Stem 10-24 inches high ; the stolons bearing obo-
vate leaves. Leaves often crowded or fascicled, with minutely serrulate-
scabrous margins. Style short, very thick. Capsules 3-4 lines long. Seeds
oblong, very smooth.
5. L. linifolia (Poir.): glabrous ; stem erect, slender, often branched, and
stoloniferous at the base, angled above; leaves linear, rather obtuse, tapering
at the base ; flowers axillary, solitary, sessile ; bracteoles minute ; lobes of
the calyx ovate-lanceolate, nearly as long as the capsule, and about the
length of the petals; capsules cylindrical, slender.—Poir.! suppl. 5. p . 513.
Wilmington, N. Carolina, Delile! (v. sp. in herb. Desf.) Georgia, Bald