Herbs or shrubs with opposite, entire, dotted, exstipulate leaves, with flowers perfect, regular, hypogynous, 4 or 5-merous, cymous and mostly yellow; sepals unequal, persistent; petals mostly oblique or convolute in the bud; stamens few or many, polyadelphous; anthers versatile; ovary compound, with styles united or separate.

becoming in fruit a 1-celled capsule with parietal placentae, or 3 to 5-celled when the dissepiments reach the center. Seeds exalbuminous, minute. (Illustrations in

Kg. 69, 278, 389, 390.)

Genera 15, species 276, very generally distributed, presenting a great variety of habit, and flourishing in all kinds of localities. The juice of many species is considered purgative and febrifugal.

1. ASCYRUM, L. St. Peter's Wort. (Etymology uncertain.) Sepals 4, the two outer usually very large and foliaceous; petals 4, oblique, convolute; filaments slightly united at base into several parcels; styles 2 - 4, mostly distinct; capsule 1-celled. - Plants suffruticous. Lvs, punctate with black dots. Fls. pale yellow 1 or 3 terminating each branch. Pedicels bibracteolate.

1 A. Crux-Andreae L. St. Andrew's Cross. Branches many, suberect, an-cipital above; lvs. linear-oblong, obtuse; outer sep. twice longer than the pedicel; 2 bracteoles a little below the flower. - Sandy woods, N. J. to Ga. and La. Sts. 1 to 2f high, with brown, scaly bark below. Lvs. 6 to 12" long, minutely dotted, sessile, smaller ones axillary. Cymes leafy. The persistent, ovate sepals close after flowering. Jn., Jl.

β angustifolia Nutt. Lvs. oblong-linear, crowded; outer sepals acute, the two bracteoles close to the flower. - Car. and Ga. (Feay.) Looks very different from a, from the smallness of its numerous lva, which are 3 to 6" long, 1' wide.

2 A. pumilum Mx. Low, trailing at base; lvs. oval and obovate, obtuse, sessile; outer sepals shorter than the slender pedicel, inner sepal 0; bracteoles 0. - Ga. and Fla., in dry, piny barrens. Much branched, branches a few inches long. Lvs. about 3" by 2," often smaller. Cymes exserted, the pedicels 6 to 10" long. Pet. rather larger than the sepals.

3 A. stans Mx. St. erect, ancipital; lvs. oblong, sessile, and half-clasping, obtuse; caps. ovate, acute. - Swamps in pine barrens, N. J. to Fla. and La. Sts. 1 to 3f high, straight, winged throughout, branched above, usually simple at base and shaggy with loose bark. Lvs. 10 to 15" long, 1/3 as wide. Outer sepals orbicular, subcordate, 6" diam., inner lance-linear. Petals unequal, ovate, acute, a little longer than the sepals. Sty. 3, distinct, short. Jn. - Aug.

4 A. amplexicaule Mx. St. erect, terete below; lvs. broadly ovate, cordate, clasping; caps. oblong. - Ga. and Fla. Sts. 1 to 2f high, dichotonously branched above, branches somewhat 2-edged. Lvs. 8 to 12" long, § as broad. Outer sepals nearly round, 5" broad, the petals 1/3 longer.

5 A. microsepalum Torr. and Gr. Bushy; st. scarcely edged; lvs. oblong and oblong-linear, crowded; sep. oblong-linear, much shorter than the obovate, unequal petals; sty. 3, long, distinct. - Ga. and Fla. Very different in aspect from the others, with crooked, straggling stems. Lvs. 2 to 4" long, 1" wide (in a variety twice as large). Pedicels longer than the calyx. Fls. 9" broad. Sty. filiform, as long as the oblong capsule. May.

2. HYPERICUM, L. St. John's-wort. (Derivation unknown.) Sepals 5, connected at base, subequal, leaf-like; petals 5, oblique; stamens ∞ (sometimes few), mostly united at base into 3 - 5 parcels with no glands between them; styles 3 - 5, distinct or united at base, persistent. - Herbaceous or shrubby plants. Lvs. punctate with pellucid dots, opposite, entire. Fls. solitary, or in cymous panicles, yellow.

1 H. pyramidatum Ait. Herbaceous; lvs. sessile, oblong-ovate, acute; sty. 5; placentae retroflexed in the cells of the capsule.- Hills and river banks. Ohio and Penn. to Can. St. 3 - 5f high, scarcely angular, smooth, rigid. Branches corymbous, erect, 4-angled. Lvs. of the stem 2 1/2 - 5' long, 1/3 as wide, of the branches about half these dimensions. Fls. very large (1 1/2' broad) Petals obo-vate. Sta. capillary, 100 or more. Caps. 1' long, ovoid-conical, tipped with the 5 styles. Sds. ∞. Jl., Aug.

2 H. Kalmianum L. Shrubby; lvs. linear-lanceolate, very numerous, obtuse; caps. 5-celled, tipped with the 5 styles. - Rocks below Niagara Falls, etc. A handsome species, a foot or more in bight. Lvs. an inch in length, slightly revo-lute on the margin, 1-veined, minutely and thickly punctate, sessile. Branches slender and delicate, somewhat 4-angled. Fls. 9" diam. Sta. very many. Aug.

3 H. Buckleyi Curtis. Low, diffusely branched from the shrubby base, lvs. wedge-oblong or obovate, subsessile, smooth, very obtuse; fls. terminal, solitary, peduncled; sep. unequal leafy, obtuse, and with the ∞ stam. shorter than the

■ petals; caps. 3-celled, styles united. - High. Mts. of N. Car. to Ga. Stems 8 - 12' high. Lvs. 6 or 7" by 3 or 4". Resembles Ascyrum Crux-Andreae.

4 H. prolificum L. Branching; branches ancipital, smooth; lvs. oblong-lanceolate, obtuse, narrowed at base, crenulately waved at edge; cymes compound, leafy; sep. unequal, leafy, ovate, cuspidate; petals obovate, a little larger than sepals. - A highly ornamental shrub, 2 - 4f high, prairies and creek shores, Mid. and W. States. Lvs. 2 - 2 1/2' long, 4 - 6" wide. Fls. 9" diam., orange-yellow in an elongated inflorescence. Sta. ∞. Jl., Aug. †.

β. densiflorum T. and G. Branches very numerous; lvs. crowded, much smaller (less than 1' long); fls. very numerous, in compound cymes, and much smaller (about 6" diam.) - E. Tenn. to Fla. (H. densiflorum Ph.)

5 H. galioides Lam. Branches few, terete; lvs. linear-lanceolate, rather obtuse; cymules numerous, axillary and terminal, paniculate; sep. subequal, linear-lanceolate. - S. Car. to Fla. in damp soil. St. 2 to 3f high, with straight, erect branches and a smooth bark. Lvs. fascicled in the axils as if whorled, 10 to 15" by 2 to 3", dotted with large, pellucid glands. Fls. about 7" diam. Jn., Aug.