Leaves simple, entire. Flowers regular, hermaphrodite. Sepals 3 or 5, with contorted aestivation. Petals 5, with contorted aestivation, deciduous. Stamens hypogynous, 7 or more, usually numerous, unequal. Anthers opening inwards or laterally. Ovary 1-celled with 3-10 parietal placentas, or more or less completely 3-10-celled. Style simple or wanting, stigma large. Ovules numerous, usually straight. Fruit a loculicidal capsule. Seeds albuminous; embryo curved.—Genera 5, species 75. North Africa and Cape Verde Islands. (Plate 102.)
1. Stamens partly (the outer ones) sterile. Carpels 3. Ovules 6-12, inverted.
Style long. Undershrubs.—Species 5. North Africa.
(Under Helianthemum L.) Fumana Spach
Stamens all fertile. Ovules straight. 2
2. Carpels 5 or 10. Funicle thread-shaped. Petals white or red. Shrubs or undershrubs. Leaves opposite, without stipules.—Species 15. North
Africa. Some are used as ornamental plants; the resin of others
(ladanum) is employed in medicine and perfumery and as a fumigant.
(Plate 102.) Cistus L.
Carpels 3. 3 3
3. Style long, usually kneed or sigmoid at the base. Funicle obconical.
Embryo folded. Herbs or undershrubs.—Species 40. North Africa and Cape Verde Islands. Some are used as ornamental plants. “Rock-rose.” Helianthemum Adans.
Style short and straight or wanting. Funicle thread-shaped or thickened in the middle. Embryo coiled or hooked. 4
4. Funicle thread-shaped. Embryo coiled. Leaves, at least the upper ones, alternate, without stipules.—Species 3. North Africa. (Under
Helianthemum Tourn.) Halimium Willk.
Funicle thickened in the middle. Embryo hooked. Herbs.—Species
10. North Africa. (Under Helianthemum Tourn.) Tuberaria Spach
[FAMILY 155.] BIXACEAE
Shrubs. Leaves alternate, entire or lobed, palminerved, stipulate. Flowers in terminal racemes, clothed with scales, regular, hermaphrodite. Sepals 5, free, glandular at the base, imbricate in bud. Petals 5, free, rose-coloured, with imbricate or contorted aestivation. Stamens numerous, hypogynous, free or slightly united at the base. Anthers curved, opening at the top by two short, transverse slits. Ovary superior, 1-celled, with 2 parietal placetas. Ovules numerous, inverted. Style simple; stigma small, 2-lobed. Fruit 2-valved, usually prickly. Seed-coat red and fleshy outside, hard within. Albumen copious.
Genus 1, species 1 (B. orellana L.). Cultivated and naturalized in the tropics. Yields fibres, dyes (arnatto), and medicaments. Bixa L.
SUBORDER COCHLOSPERMINEAE
[FAMILY 156.] COCHLOSPERMACEAE
Trees, shrubs, or undershrubs. Leaves undivided or palmately lobed or divided, stipulate. Flowers in racemes or panicles, glabrous or clothed with simple hairs, regular, hermaphrodite. Sepals 4-5, free, imbricate in bud. Petals 4-5, free, with imbricate or contorted aestivation. Stamens numerous, hypogynous, free or united at the base. Anthers straight, opening by two sometimes confluent slits or pores. Ovary superior, 1-celled with 3-5 more or less projecting parietal placentas, or 2-3-celled. Ovules several or many, inverted. Style simple. Fruit a capsule. Seeds with a curved embryo and copious albumen.—Genera 2, species 7. Tropics. (Under BIXINEAE.)
Petals large, yellow. Anthers long, attached by the base, opening at the top.
Ovary 1-celled, sometimes incompletely 3-5-celled. Ovules numerous, parietal. Seeds covered with long hairs. Leaves palmately lobed or divided. Flowers in few-flowered racemes or panicles.—Species 5.
Central Africa. They yield fibre, gum, dyes, and medicaments. (Maximilianea
Mart. & Schrank.) Cochlospermum Kunth
Petals small. Anthers short, attached by the back, opening lengthwise.
Ovary 2-3-celled. Ovules few, subbasal. Leaves undivided, penninerved.
Flowers in compound cymes.—Species 2. Madagascar. Sphaerosepalum Bak.
SUBORDER FLACOURTIINEAE