2. Diapensia. Flower (or at least fruit) on a scape-like peduncle. Anther-cells blunt, obliquely dehiscent.
Tribe II. GALACINEÆ. Acaulescent, with creeping rootstocks sending up long-petioled evergreen leaves, and a 1–several-flowered scape. Staminodia present.
3. Galax. Calyx minutely 2-bracteolate. Stamens monadelphous; anthers 1 celled.
1. PYXIDANTHÈRA, Michx.
Sepals thin. Anther-cells awn-pointed at base, opening by a strictly transverse line. Otherwise much as in Diapensia.—Prostrate and creeping, with narrowly oblanceolate and awl-pointed leaves, mostly alternate on the sterile branches and somewhat hairy near the base. Flowers solitary and sessile, very numerous, white or rose-color. (Name from πυξίς, a small box, and ἀνθήρα, anther, the anther opening as if by a lid.)
1. P. barbulàta, Michx. (Flowering Moss. Pyxie.) Leaves 3´´ long.—Sandy pine barrens of N. J. to N. C. April, May.
2. DIAPÉNSIA, L.
Calyx of 5 concave imbricated coriaceous sepals. Corolla bell-shaped, 5-lobed; lobes rounded. Filaments broad and flat, adherent to the corolla up to the sinuses, short; anthers adnate, of 2 ovoid pointless cells, diverging below, each opening therefore by a transverse-descending line. Capsule, enclosed in the calyx, cartilaginous; cells few-seeded.—Alpine, growing in very dense convex tufts, with the stems imbricated below with cartilaginous narrowly spatulate mostly opposite leaves, terminated by a scape-like 1-flowered peduncle, 3-bracted under the calyx. Corolla white (½´ wide). (Said to be an ancient Greek name of the Sanicle, of obscure meaning, strangely applied by Linnæus to this plant.)
1. D. Lappónica, L. Leaves 3–5´´ long; peduncle at length 1–2´ long.—Alpine summits of N Eng. and N. Y., and northward to Lab. and the Arctic coast. July. (Eu., Asia.)
3. GÀLAX, L.