Herbs, with alternate cut-toothed or lobed leaves, and regular pentamerous and pentandrous flowers very much like those of the last Order, but having a 1-celled ovary with the seeds on the walls {parietal). Style 2-cleft. Flowers mostly in 1-sided cymes which uncoil from the apex.

Synopsis Of The Genera

1. Hydrophyl'lum. Stamens exserted. Calyx unchanged in fruit.

2. Ellis in. Stamens included. Calyx enlarged in fruit. - N.W. only.

1. Hydrophyl'lum. L. Waterleaf

1. H. Virgin'icum, L. Corolla bell-shaped, the 5 lobes convolute in the bud; the tube with 5 folds down the inside, one opposite each lobe. Stamens and style exserted, the filaments bearded below. Stem smoothish. Leaves pinnately cleft into 5-7 divisions, the latter ovate-lanceolate, pointed, cut-toothed. Calyx-lobes very narrow, bristly-ciliate. Flowers white or pale blue. Peduncles longer than the petioles of the upper leaves. Rootstocks scaly-toothed. - Moist woods.

2. H. Canaden'se, L., differs from the last in having the leaves palmately 5-7-lobed, and rounded ; the peduncles shorter than the petioles; and the calyx-lobes nearly smooth. - Rich woods.

3. H. appendiculatum, Michx. Stem, pedicels, and calyx hairy. Stem-leaves palmately 5-lobed and rounded, the lowest leaves pinnately divided. Calyx with a small reflexed appendage in each sinus. Stamens sometimes not exserted. - Rich woods, S. W. Ontario.

2. Ellis'ia. L

E. Nyete'lea, L. A delicate branching annual, minutely or sparingly roughish-hairy. Leaves pinnately parted into 7-13 narrow sparingly cut-toothed divisions. Peduncles 1-flowered, solitary in the forks or opposite the leaves. Flowers small, whitish. Capsule pendulous. - N. W.