however, it has long grown by the road-side between Wigtora
and Penrith near the village of Sebergham in Cumberland,
where it was noticed several years since by the late Mr. W.
Backhouse of Darlington. In the continental floras it is recorded
as a native of Belgium, and Bertoloni distinguishes it
from the American L. ciliata, in an Italian journal which we
have not seen. According to Reichenbach he states that the
leaves are smaller, the fringe on the petioles shorter, and
the parts of the flower larger in the European than in the
American plant. Our plant agrees with an authentic specimen
named L. decipiens, Bert., and gathered by Dr. Lejeune
between Verviers and Limburg; we have not seen specimens
of the American L. ciliata. The characters noticed by Reichenbach
seem hardly sufficient to separate the plants specifically,
and not having seen Bertoloni’s observations, we consider
it advisable to retain the Linnaean name.
Root creeping. Stem 3-4 feet high, tetragonal, erect.
Leaves mostly opposite, or four together in one (rafely two) of
the uppermost whorls, ovate-lanceolate with a cordate base,
rather glaucous beneath. Petioles rather long, ciliated.
Flowers stalked, axillary, opposite or whorled, racemose,
nodding. Calyx of five lanceolate sepals connected below.
Corolla longer than the calyx, yellow, deeply divided into five
nearly round acutely crenate segments, which are very obtuse
but cuspidate. The bottom of the corolla and the filaments
of the large long anthers covered with minute glands. Stamens
5, not connected below; alternating with them are five
more or less prominent triangular-subulate barren filaments.
The ten free filaments, of which five are without anthers,
distinguish this plant from all our other species.
"We are indebted for our specimens to Miss Wright of
Keswick, who gathered them, in Mr. Backhouse’s station,
on the 17th of July, 1844.—C. C. B.