This genus was characterized and published by the accomplished Endlicher from
mi insufficient specimen of the Florida plant, the fruit of which is still a desideratum
k c tio n Z nL lPof1W r ^ A T US f(trtr tel£ 0CCurs lecrion (no. 321 of 3rd. coll.) from which we have compilne teDd riatms cmaio-pnodl1os aiTcaelx hains tCoroyl-
-T h e venation of the corolla is somewhat curious, although neaily th? same as m
many Rubiacese. There are about 20 primary veins, three of which are continued
into each segment and somewhat ramiifed towards, its summit: there is also a vein
corresponding with each sinus, occupying the situation of the primary veins in Composite,
and forked near the sinus in the same manner, one division I nto
each segment and coursing near the margin, but disappearing by ramification before
it reaches the summit.—-The nearest alliance of Ccelostylis is perhaps with Logania
rroollba,^ anndd.r tthfe’ iRns' eBrJtio' !n flo'rfn tlh eW shtalcmhe 1n1s d. iffers ab™dantly in the estivation of the co-
1. C. loganioides (Torr. & Gr. 1. c .) : leaves ovate and obovate, somewhat
coriaceous ; the upper surface with the margins and the summit of the
stem somewhat pnberulent-scabrous.
Near Fort King, Florida, Dr. Burrows /—Stem, or branches, slender, 6-
10 inches long, ascending, glabrous except the upper part and about the
nodes, somewhat _ 4-angled by. lines decurrent from the leaves ; two of the
angles more distinct. Leaves about half an inch long, scarcely petioled,
rather obtuse, marked with a few strong oblique veins. Flowers apparently
three together at the summit (the central one on a short pedicel), or solitary
and axillary. Sepals almost distinct, linear-subulate, less than half the
length of the corolla, minutely serrulate under a lens. Corolla about 4 lines
long, glabrous, probably white: the lobes ovate-lanceolate, aeutish. Filaments
scarcely longer than the anthers: pollen triangular. Ovary ovoid
H rmt unknown. J
2. C. Texana . leaves lanceolate and oblong-lanceolate, membranaceous,
glabrous; stem dichotomous at the summit.
Texas, Drummond!—Stem ascending, 12-18 inches high, 4-angled with
decurrent lines, di-tnchotomous at the summit, often bearing 4 leaves in a
whorl at the first bifurcation. Leaves 1-2 inches long, 6-8 lines wide, rather
acute at each end; the veins few and nearly simple. Stipules ovate, those
near the base of the stem almost obsolete. Flowers diehotomal or terminal
solitary or three together; the central ones on very short pedicels, Calyx’
corolla, stamens, and style as in the preceding species, except that’tbe hairy
portion of the latter is shorter. - Capsule about 3 lines wide, composed of two
globose glabrous cocci, which cohere by a small portion of their face, separating
from each other at maturity, and from the indurated disk, which, with
the calyx, remains attached to the summit of the pedicel. Seeds strongly 18
18. MITRE OLA. Linn. hort. Cliff.; R. Br. prodr. 1. p. 450 (note) ;
A . Rich, in mem. soc. hist. nat. Par. 1. t. 3.
Ophiorhiza Mitreola, L i» : spec.—Cynoctonum, G-mel.
Calyx 5-parted. Corolla ureeolate-infundibuliform, exceeding, the calyx,
bearded in the throat; the lobes of the 5-parted limb ovate, 3-nerved. Stamens
5, included, inserted into the lower part of the tube of the corolla : anthers
roundish. Ovary 2-celled, coherent with the calyx at the base : styles
short, separate at the base, united above: stigmas also united, small. Capsule
almost entirely free from the calyx, 2-horned or deeply 2-lobed, mitreshaped,
2-celled, each lobe dehiscent near the summit by the ventral suture :
placentae stipitate from near the summit of the dissepiment, many-seeded.
Seeds very small, oval, anatropous, minutely scrobiculate under a lens.
Embryo nearly the length of the fleshy albumen, straight: radicle cylindric
a l: cotyledons short, ovate.—Annual glabrous herbs (natives of tropical
America and the Southern United States), with opposite oval or lanceolate
leaves, and very small entire stipules between the petioles. Flowers small,
white, in terminal scorpioid cymes.
Mitreola appears to differ from Mitrasacme, Labill. chiefly in its pentamerous
flowers.—In both species of this genus, and also in Polypremum, the pollen-tubes
are often so copious, even in dried specimens, as to fasten the anthers strongly to
the stigma.
1. M. petiolata: leaves membranaceous, lanceolate or oval-oblong, acute,
narrowed at the base into a petiole.—Ophiorhiza Mitreola, Linn. spec. 1. p.
150; Swartz, obs.p. 59, t. 3 , / . 2. O. lanceolate. E ll.! sk. 1. p . 238.
Anonymos petiol/fta, Walt. Car. p. 108. Cynoctonum petiolatum, Gmel.
syst. p. 4.
Damp shady soil, Virginia ! to Florida! and west to the borders of Texas!
June-Sept.—Stem 1-2 feet high, somewhat branching. Leaves 1-3 inches
long. Peduncles terminal and from the axils of the upper leaves, once or
twice dichotomous or trichotomous; the flowers subsessile and unilateral
along the somewhat circinate divisions, and solitary in the forks. Bracts
minute, subulate, one to each flower. Capsule exactly mitre-shaped.; the
lobes somewhat flattened anteriorly and posteriorly, slightly pointed, diverging,
and then often somewhat convergent near the summit, each opening by
a small chink in the ventral suture near the summit.
2. M. sessilifolia : leaves firm or slightly coriaceous, ovate or roundish,
sessile; the veins conspicuous beneath.—Ophiorhiza Mitreola, Michx. ! fl.
1. p. 148 (partly); Pursh, fl. 1. p. 139 ; Ell. ! sk. 1. p. 237. O. ovalifo-
lia, Muhl. cat. p. 20. O- Croomii, Curtis! pi. Wilmingt. in Bost. jour,
nat. hist. 1. p. 128. Anonymos sessilifolia, Walt. ! Car. p. 108. Cynoctonum
sessilifolium, Gmel. 1. c.
(3. angustifolia: leaves lanceolate-elliptical, closely sessile, obscurely
veined.
Damp shady soil, and wet banks of rivers, South.Carolina! Georgia ! and
Alabama! /3. Middle Florida, Dr. Chapman! June-Aug.—Stem 12-18
inches high, somewhat quadrangular, simple, or sometimes branched from
the base, or slightly so at the summit. Leaves half an inch to an inch long,
often nearly round, very obtuse at the base, and closely sessile. Stipules
very small, those of the lower leaves indistinct. Peduncles and inflorescence,
flowers. &c, nearly as in the preceding species, the flowers perhaps closer
and more nearly sessile. ./Estivation of the corolla slightly imbricated ?—
We have resumed the specific names of Walter, the first botanist who distinguished
the two species. It is Achille Richard; if we mistake not (for we
do not possess his paper on the subject), who has proposed the name of M.
ophiorhizoides; but, as he has followed Michaux, who considered the two
plants as mere varieties, we know not to which species this name, if adopted,
should be applied ; perhaps to M. sessilifolia, which appears to be the plant
Michaux had chiefly in view, while the other species is the original Ophiorhiza
Mitreola.
19. ? POLYPREMUM. Linn., in act. TJps. (1741) t. 78 ; Lam. ill. t.
71; Gcertn. fr . t. 62 ; Juss. in ann. mus. Par. 5. p. 255, A mem. mus.
6. p. 382; DC. prodr. 4. p. 435.
Symphoranthos, Mitch.
Calyx deeply 4-parted; the divisions subulate from an ovate base, with
scarious margins. Corolla somewhat rotate, not longer than the calyx; the