erect, with clusters of purple or white flowers towards the summit,
and smooth, nerved leaves ; plant of a light-green ; on low
grounds ; September. Cultivated by the Shakers, at Hancock, for
its medicinal properties.
This would be a fine plant for fall flowers in gardens.
G. pneumonanthe. L. Marsh Gentian. A smaller plant than
the preceding, hut much like i t ; axillary flowers solitary ; swamps
in the vicinity of Boston.
G. crinita. L. Fringed Gentian. Flowers delicate and
beautiful, bluish, with the border cut into numerous segments like
fringe, and growing on branches towards the top ; stem about a
foot high ; wet places and damp soils ; September.
G. qtiinqueftora. L. Gentian. Another beautiful plant,
about a foot high, with clusters of bluish flowers in the axils of
the leaves ; abundant on hilly grounds in the western part of the
State ; September arid October.
The last two species Would be great additions to the flowering
plants of gardens, as they blossom in autumn, and bear abundance
of flowers for a considerable tiirie.
More than 60 species of this genus have been described ; 'mote
than 20 are cultivated in England ; 10 species are found in North
America ; a wide-spread genus.
V il la r s ia . Gmelin. 5. 1.
V. lacunosa. Vent. Floating Heart. Spur Stem. Named
after a French botanist, Villars ; a genus of aquatic plants, natives
of both continents.
This species has very splendid petioles, bearing heart-shaped,
floating leaves ; flowers small and white on the leaf-stalks ; vicinity
of Boston. Big.
Mentanthes. L. 5. 1.
J\I. trifoliata. L. Buck Bean. Bears flower-stalks and
leaves at short distances along a horizontal root ; flowers white in
a conical cluster ; leaves finely ternate ; medicinal. Bigelow’s
“ Medical Botany.” In marshy meadows, and on banks of streams
and ponds ; May.
The leaves are bitter and used for rheumatism ; in Sweden, the
plant is a substitute for hops. Only one species in the genus, a
native of Europe and America.
S abbatia. Adanson. 5. 1.
Named after L. Sabbati, a botanist of Italy of Some distinction;
a North American genus of about 10 species, of which 4 have
been introduced into England ; 2 are found in this State.
S. chloroides, Ph., and S. stellar is, Ph. Both found in the
eastern part of the State, but are not of much importance except
for their beauty ; the former being one of our most beautiful wild
flowers. They have been found very difficult to cultivate.
H OUSTONIA. L. 4. 1.
Named after Dr. William Houston ; a genus confined to the
United States, except one fine species in Mexico. Of the 8
known species, 2 belong to Massachusetts.
H. ccerulea. L. Venus’ Pride. The small delicate plant with
fine bluish flowers, which spreads among the grass in meadows
and low grounds in great abundance. On the alluvial meadows of
the Housatonic River, are acres in succession of this flower ;
blossoms in May.
II. longifolia. Willd. Long-leafed. A taller, larger platit,
with purplish flowers ; hills and mountains ; June. Stem 6 - 1 2
inches high, branched, leaves an inch long.
ORDER 198. SPIGELIACEiE. W ormseed T ribe.
Removed from the preceding order by Dr. Martius, and continued
by others ; embraces American plants, chiefly of South
America.