11. P. verticillata (Linn.): spikes pedunculate, acute, dense; wings
roundish-obovate ; crest conspicuous; stem erect, branched ; leaves verticil-
late, linear and lanceolate-linear, glandularly punctate.—Miihx. ! ft. 2. p.
54; Nutt.! gen. 2. p. 89; Ell. sk. 2. p. 182; DC. prodr. 1. p. 329; Hook,
fl. Bor.-Am. 1. p. 85. <
Sandy fields and dry hill-sides, Canada! to Florida! and west to A kan-
sa s! June-Aug.— (X) Stem 6-10 inches high. Leaves mostly in whorls of 4
or 5, but sometimes scattered. Spike 15-20-flowered, an inch or more in
length, 2 lines in diameter at the base, and tapering to a pretty acute summit.
Flowers very minute, greenish-white. Bracts very deciduous. Exterior
sepals unequal; the posterior ones ovate, twice as large as the other two.
W ings a little longer than the corolla. Lateral petals nearly as large as the
wings, and somewhat spreading. Style dilated and saccate almost immediately
above the ovary: gland inconspicuous; the terminal appendage
subulate, with a hairy tuft at the extremity. Seed oblong, hairy. Caruncle
with 2 distant oblong lobes nearly half the length of the seed.—In this and
the following species, the exterior sepals, the ovary, and the keel of the corolla
are furnished with oblong or linear vesicles, which are filled with a yellowish
farinaceous matter.
12. P. ambigua (Nutt.) : spikes pedunculate, acute, dense ; rachis squar-
rose with the persistent bracts; wings roundish; stem erect, with virgate
branches; leaves linear, not glandular, the lower ones sometimes verticillate,
the others scattered.—Nutt.! gen. 2. p. 89; DC. prodr. 1. p. 329 ; Darlingt.
fl. Cest. p. 402.
Woods and sandy fields, often in wet places, New Jersey ! to Virginia,
Nuttcell. Aug.-Sept.—(1) Plant 8-12 inches high. Flowers greenish-white,
more or less tinged with purple.—Nearly related to the preceding species in
the structure of the flowers and seeds, as well as in general appearance.
13. P. bicolor (Kunth): spikes cylindrical, densely flowered ; exterior sepals
with 2 thick parallel nerves; leaves pellucid-punctate; the lower ones
ternately or quinately verticillate ; upper ones linear-lanceolate. H. B. K.
nov. gen. 5. p. 394. t. 509. ex. DC. prodr. 1 .p. 327; Hook. jour. bot. 1. p. 194.
Near New-Orleans, Drummond. 2f ((X) DC.) Stem 1J foot or more in
height. The verticillate leaves obovate-lanceolate ; the upper and alternate
ones linear. Spike very long: flowers much larger than in P. verticillata.
Hook.—We have not seen this plant. May it not be a variety of of P. verticillata
or P. ambigua ? The “ thick parallel nerves” of the sepals are probably
the vesicles noticed in the preceding species.
14. P. leptocaulis: spike racemose, much elongated, very slender, loose ;
wings elliptical-obovate, about as long as the corolla; exterior sepals somewhat
equal, acute; crest conspicuous; capsule oblong; seed oblong; lobes
of the caruncle very minute; stem filiform, nearly simple, or with a few
long erect branches; leaves linear, very narrow.
Texas, Drummond!—(If) Stem 1-2 feet high, glabrous. Leaves about
half an inch long, almost subulate, not dotted. Spike 1-24 inches long. The
flowers about a line long, rather remote, pale purple, longer than the slender
pedicels. Exterior sepals somewhat equal. Wings narrowed into a short
claw at the base. Crest consisting of several filiform processes, equalling the
lateral petals. Style saccate, without the terminal appendage: gland obtuse,
sessile. Seed very hairy : the lobes of the caruncle collateral.
15. P. Beyrichii: spike dense, acute; flowers on very short pedicels;
wings orbicular-obovate, concave, rather longer than the broadly obovate lateral
petals ; capsule oblong; seed very villous with appressed hairs ; lobes of the
caruncle distant, about half as long as the seed; stems numerous, somewhat
branched; leaves linear or linear-spatulate, somewhat glandular.
Texas Drummond! Arkansas, Bey rich!— If About a foot high, angular.
Leaves an inch or more in length, and a line wide, rather thick, mucronate.
Spike 1-2 inches long: flowers as large as in P. Senega, closely approximated
white. Wings concave. Processes of the crest 6, short. Keel marked
wi'th 3 yellow glands below the crest. Style short, broad and saccate ; appendage
short : gland prominent, but sessile. Capsule spotted with smalt
yellow glands.
16. P. Senega (Linn.) : spike dense, rather acute ; flowers on very short
pedicels; wings orbicular-obovate, concave, rather longer than the obovate
petals; capsule nearly orbicular; seed somewhat hirsute with spreading
hairs; lobes of the caruncle collateral, as long as the seed ; stems numerous,
simple; leaves lanceolate, scabrous on the margin.— Willd. sp. 3. p. 894;
Walt. Car. p. 178 ; Bigel.! med. bot. 2. p. 97. t. 30, $ fl. Host. p. 265; Bot.
mu«-. t. 1051; DC. prodr. 1. p. 330 ; Hook. ! fl. Bor.-Am. 1. p. 85-, Darlingt.
fl. Cest. p. 403. P. Senega, a. albida, Michx.! fl. 2. p. 53 ; Pursh,
fl 2 465*
0 latifolia: leaves ovate-oblong, acuminate, at each end; stem branched above.
Dry rocky woods, Saskatchawan River ! to North Carolina! west to Kentucky
! 0. Kentucky, Short! May-June.—If Root thick and rather ligneous.
Stems about half a foot high, somewhat inclined ; the base usually invested
with small oval scale-like leaves. Leaves 1-2 inches long, and 3-4 lines
wide (in 0. 3-4 inches long and 14 inches wide), serrulately ciliolate. Spike
1-2 inches long, a little inclined: flowers greenish-white. Sepals all obtuse.
Crest short; the processes few and often partly confluent. Style short, ga-
leate and somewhat rostrate; appendage wanting, but in its place a short
17. P. alba (Nutt.): spike on a long peduncle; flowers nearly sessile;
wings rounded, about as long as the corolla; stem simple; leaves linear, revolute
on the margin. Nutt, gen.) 2. p. 87; DC.prodr. 1. p. 330.
Plains of the Missouri, common, the only species of the genus in that region.—
If About 6 inches high. Leaves glabrous. Flowers white: bracts
lanceolate, deciduous.—Near P. Senega, but distinct. Nuiiall. W*e have
not seen this plant, but we suspect that it is a variety of P. Senega.
18. P. Boykinii (Nutt.): spike, dense, acute; flowers distinctly pedicellate
; wings orbicular-obovate, concave, rather longer than the obovate petals
; capsule broadly obovate; seed very hirsute with appressed hairs; lobes
of the caruncle collateral, two-thirds the length of the seed ; stems numerous,
branching above; leaves verticillate in fours and fives, obovate-oblong and
lanceolate.—Nutt.! in jour. acad. Philad. 7. p. 86.
Milledgeville, Georgia, Dr. Boykin! Near the Apalachicola River, Florida,
Groom! June-Sept.—Root like that of P. Senega. Stems 1-2 feet
high. Leaves about an inch long; the lower ones nearly obovate ; upper ones
gradually narrower. Spikes 2 inches long, tapering to a narrow point.
Flowers resembling those of P. Senega: crest minute. Style short; appendage
subulate: gland somewhat pedicellate.—This species greatly resembles
P. distans, St. Hill fl. Bras. 2. p. 24. t. 84.
19. P. Chapmanii: spike, oblong, acute, loose; wings obovate, with a short
claw; exterior sepals unequal; the posterior one broadly ovate, obtuse;
lateral petals obovate, distinct from the keel; crest almost none; seed obovate,
clothed with spreading hairs ; lobes of the caruncle minute, diverging;
stems filiform, somewhat branching ; leaves linear-subulate, numerous.
West Florida, Dr. Chapman !— ® Glabrous. Stems about a foot high,
branching from the base or only near the summit. Leaves 6-S lines long,
scarcely half a line. wide. Spike 1-14 inch long. Bracts minute, persistent.
Flowers bright rose-color, nearly as large as in P. sanguinea. Wings rather
longer than the corolla. - Lateral petals united with the keel only at the base: