Lythrum thesioides, Bieb.

10. L. thesioides Bieb. View in CoL , Fl. Taur.-Cauc. 1: 367 (1808)

(L. geminiflorum Bertol.). Erect, glabrous, rather glaucous annual; stem 20-40 cm, simple or with a few ascending branches. Leaves 10-20x1-2 mm, linear to linear-oblong, acute, alternate. Flowers 4- to 6-merous, in axillary clusters of 1-4. Hypanthium 1-75-2-5 mm, narrowly campanulate in fruit, about twice as long as wide. Epicalyx-segments c. 0-5 mm, ovate-lanceolate, green, longer than the debate, scarious sepals. Petals minute or absent; stamens 4-6, included. Capsule slightly exceeding the hypanthium; style c. 0-25 mm. Lake-margins and other wet places. S. France; Hungary; S.E. Russia; once recorded from N. Italy. *Ga Hu?It Rs (E). A very rare and imperfectly known species. The plants from France have most of the flowers in groups of 2-3; those from Russia have them solitary in the upper part of the plant. Our knowledge is, however, insufficient to justify a division into subspecies. L. linifolium Kar. & Kir. , Bull. Soc. Nat. Moscou 14: 421 (1841), from C. Asia, has been recorded from one locality in Hungary. It seems very doubtful, however, that it is specifically distinct from L. thesioides .