ovate, acute, the outer linear and obtuse; leaves oblong-lanceolate, with
somewhat revolute margins (when dry), softly canescent beneath.—Michx. !
fl- 1. p. 307 ; DC. prodr. 1. p. 269; Ell. sic. 2. p. 5. Heteromeris cymosa,'
Spach, l. c.
Sterile places near the coast, from New Jersey to S. Carolina and Florida !
April-May, and again in Oct. E ll.—About a foot high, very tomentose
when young. Outer sepals about the length of the inner ones. Capsules of
the primary flowers many-seeded ; of the secondary ones rather few-seeded.
Flowers nearly the size of those of H. Canadense.—A well-marked species,
readily distinguished by having, among other characters, the apetalous flowers
not on leafy branches, but with the others forming a compound terminal
cyme.
4. H. Carolinianum (Michx.): stem simple or branching from the base,
hirsute; flowers (large, all polyandrous and petaliferous ?) on long solitary
-peduncles, axillary and terminal; sepals villous-hirsute, the outer ones linear
and shorter, the inner ovate-lanceolate acuminate and much longer than the
capsule ; leaves at first softly villous, oblong or oval, slightly denticulate; the
lower ones crowded near the base of the stem, obovate.—Michx.! fl. 1. p.
307; Pursh, fl. 2. p. 364; Vent. hort. Cels. t. 74; Ell. sk. 2. p. 6; DC.
prodr. 1. c. Cistus Carolinianus, Walt. Car. p. 152.
In dry rather fertile soils, S. Carolina to Georgia ! and Louisiana ! May-
June.—Nearly herbaceous, 5-12 inches high. Leaves larger than in the
other American species, on short but distinct petioles. Flowers few : petals
larger than in H. Canadense. Seeds minutely papillose-scabrous.
— 5. H. scoparium (Nutt. 1 m s s .) s lig h t ly pubescent, decumbent and much
branched below; flowers paniculate-racemose [all petaliferous and polyandrous]
; sepals ovate, acuminate, the outer ones minute and subulate; petals 5,
cuneate-oblong, longer than the calyx; capsule about 6-seeded; leaves scattered,
linear-subulate, exstipulate.”—H .--------- ? (near H. tripetalum) Hook.
Am. hot. Beechey, p. 135.
“ Dry hills around Monterey, California; common.—About a foot high-
Leaves lan inch long, scarcely half a line wide. Flowers small, yellow, disposed
in a kind of paniculate raceme [the evolution of the flowers in the
branches of the inflorescence, as usual in the genus, centrifugal]. Seeds
smooth.” Nutt.—Evidently allied to H. tripetalum, Moq. <$■ Sesse, from
Mexico, as far as can be judged from the brief character in DC. prodr,-, but
there are 5 petals. 2
2. LECHEA. L in n .; Gcertn.fr. t. 129; DC. prodr. 1. p. 285.
Lechea & Lechidium, Spach,
The two exterior sepals much narrower and bract-like. Petals 3, inconspicuous,
lanceolate, somewhat persistent. Stamens 3-12. Stigmas 3, nearly
sessile, somewhat united, fimbriate-laciniate, depressed. Capsule 3-valved,
incompletely 3-celled, or 1-celled by the obliteration of the imperfect dissepiments
: placentae (internal valves, Linn.) ovate or roundish, nearly as broad
as the valves, membranaceous or somewhat crustaceous, fixed to the dissepiments
by the middle of the posterior face, about 2-seeded. Seeds borne on
the posterior face of the placentae near the base, one on each side of the dissepiment,
about the length of the valves. Embryo nearly straight.—Perennial
herbs, often suflrutieose at the base, much branched, with numerous
very small racemed or somewhat paniculate flowers: petals brownish-purpie.
Leaves exstipulate, entire, alternate, opposite, or verticillate (often on
the same specimen), sessile or slightly petioled, minutely puncticulate.
An American genus; L. verticillata, Willi, being a species of Elatine, according
to Wight and Arnott.
§ 1. Placentae membranaceo-crustaceous, fragile, separating from the
very thin dissepiments ; the margins revolute enveloping the seed.
(L echea, Spach.)
1. L. major (Michx.): stem erect, hairy; young branches villous, the radical
ones prostrate and tufted ; cauline leaves elliptical, mucronulate ; those
of the radical branches roundish and very small; of the floral branches lanceolate;
flowers very numerous, densely clustered in short unilateral racemes
; pedicels very short; capsule depressed-globose and somewhat 3-sid-
ed.—Michx.! fl. 1. p. 76; Muhl. cqt.p. 15; P ursh! fl. 1. p. 90; Bigel.fi.
Bost. p. 47; Torr.! fl. 1. p. 160, not of Linn, (which is an apetalous form
of Helianthemum Canadense.) L. minor, Linn, amain, acad. 3. p. 10, ex
Smith, in Rees, cycl. L. villosa, Ell. sk. 1. p. 184; DC. prodr. 1. p. 285;
Beck, bot. p. 36; Darlingt. fl. Cest. p. 96. L. Drummondii, Spach, in
compan. to bot. mag. l.p . 284?
In dry woods, &c., Canada! to Florida, and west to the Mississippi. July-
Sept.—Stem 1-2 feet high, stout, much branched above. Radical branches
slender; the small leaves much crowded or fascicled, villous with white
hairs, especially on the margins and midrib. Cauline leaves also often
crowded, opposite or alternate, occasionally verticillate. Flowers and capsules
much smaller than in L. minor. Seeds oval.—We think it preferable,
as well as more in accordance with the rules of nomenclature, to retain the
name L. major for this species; since it is not only the generally received,
but the oldest name, the Linnsean plant, as also the figure of Lamarck, being
excluded ; unless indeed we follow Smith, and call the largest species of the
genus L. minor.
2. L. thymifolia (Pursh): frutescent; stems decumbent at the base,
densely and paniculately branched above, canescently villous (especially the
branches) with white appressed hairs ; leaves very numerous and often verticillate
; cauline ones oblanceolate or linear; those of the short procumbent
and very villous radical branches imbricated, elliptical, very small; those of
the flonferous branches narrowly linear, with revolute margins, erect and
crowded; clusters terminal and axillary near the extremity of the single
floriferous branches, 2- 6-flowered; pedicels very short; calyx tomentose-
canescent; capsule globose.—Pursh, fl. 1. p. 91; Smith, in Rees, cycl. ? ;
Torr. ! fl. 1. p. 161, not of Michx.
In sand on the sea-coast, Massachusetts! and Long Island ! to Virginia,
&c. July-Sept.—Stem stout, a foot high, branched above in a pyramidal
manner; the branches often verticillate, short and simple, leafy to the sum-
niit. Intermediate in some respeets between L. major & L. minor, but more
nearly allied to the former.
3. L. minor (Lam.): stem erect, minutely pubescent with appressed
hairs; radical branches procumbent and hairy, or often none; leaves linear
the cauline ones often somewhat oblong; scattered or sometimes verticillate;
racemes nearly simple; the flowers on distinct often appressed pedicels;
capsules ovoid-globose.—Lam. ill. t. 52. f . 1 ?; Pursh, fl. 1. p. 91; Bigel. ft.
Bost. p. 48; Torr.! fl. l.p . 161; Hook.fl. Bor.-Am. 1. p. 73; Darlingt.
fl. Cest. p. 97, not of Linn. & Smith. L. racemtilosa, thymifolia, and tenui-
folia, Michx. f l. c.
a. stem tall and slender, simple or paniculately branched above; radical