Herbs, mostly perennial, with leafy stems. Leaves entire, often glandular-punctate; flowers in our species yellow, solitary in the axils, or racemose, corymbose or paniculate. Calyx 5-7-parted or 5-7-divided, persistent, free from the ovary. Corolla rotate or campanu-late, 5-7-parted, the tube very short, the lobes convolute at least in the bud. Stamens 5-7, inserted on the throat of the corolla; filaments separate, or connate at the base; anthers oblong or oval; staminodia none. Ovary globose or ovoid; ovules few or several; style filiform; stigma obtuse. Capsule ovoid or globose, 2-5-valved, few or several-seeded. [Greek, loose-strife.]

About 70 species, mostly natives of the northern hemisphere, a few in Africa and Australia. Besides the following, 3 others occur in the southern United States. Type species: Lysimachia vulgaris L.

Leaves verticillate in 3's-7's, or some of them rarely opposite. Corolla rotate-campanulate, pure yellow, 6"-12" broad.

1. Lysimachia Vulgaris L. Golden Or Yellow Loosestrife Or Willowherb

Fig. 3287

Lysimachia vulgaris L. Sp. Pl. 146. 1753.

Densely downy-pubescent; stem erect, branched, 2o-3 1/2° high. Leaves verticillate in 3's or 4's, or some of them opposite, short-petioled, ovate-lanceolate or ovate, acute or acuminate at the apex, mostly narrowed at the base, 2'-4' long, 1/2'-1 1/2 wide; flowers 6"-10" broad, in terminal leafy panicles or compound corymbs; pedicels 2"-6" long; sepals lanceolate or triangular-lanceolate, acute or acuminate; corolla yellow, rotate-campanulate. deeply parted, the segments glabrous; filaments mona-delphous to about the middle, glandular; capsule about 1 1/2" in diameter, shorter than the sepals.

In fields and along roadsides, Maine to Ontario, southerr New York and Pennsylvania, Naturalized from Europe. Native also of Asia. Willow-wort. Yellow rocket. June-Aug.