1. Partitions of the ovary incomplete above; placentas not continuing into
the style. [Tribe LYTHREAE.] 2
Partitions of the ovary complete; placentas continuing into the style.
Flowers regular. [Tribe NESAEEAE.] 9
2. Flowers distinctly irregular. Sepals 6. Petals 6-7, unequal. Stamens
10-14, usually 11. Disc present. Placenta finally protruding from the bursting ovary and calyx-tube. Leaves opposite or whorled.—Species
1. Naturalized in the Mascarene Islands. Ornamental plant. Cuphea P. Browne
Flowers regular or almost so. 3
3. Stem herbaceous or woody at the base only. Leaves not dotted. Seeds not winged. 4
Stem woody. Leaves opposite, marked with black dots, rarely without dots, but then seeds with a thick wing. Style long. 7
4. Fruit indehiscent, membranous, not striate. Seeds very numerous.
Flowers 6-merous. Calyx-tube hemispherical or broad-campanulate, with appendages at the apex. Sepals herbaceous. Stamens as many as the sepals. Ovary 2-celled. Style very short. Flowers solitary, axillary, with whitish bracteoles.—Species 1. North Africa. Used as a vegetable. Peplis L.
Fruit dehiscing by 2-4 valves or bursting transversely or irregularly; in the latter cases flowers 4-merous and cymose. 5
5. Fruit bursting transversely or irregularly, membranous, not striate.
Seeds very numerous. Flowers 4-merous. Sepals herbaceous. Stamens as many or twice as many as the sepals. Flowers in axillary cymes, with whitish bracteoles.—Species 15. Tropical and South Africa and
Egypt. Some are used medicinally. Ammania L.
Fruit dehiscing longitudinally in 2-4 valves. 6
6. Fruit marked with dense, sometimes very faint, transverse veins. Sepals usually membranous. Stamens as many as the sepals or fewer. Glabrous plants. Flowers solitary or umbellate and axillary, or in terminal spikes or racemes, bracteolate.—Species 20. Tropical and South
Africa. (Including Quartinia Endl., Rhyacophila Hochst., and Suffrenia
Bellardi). Rotala L.
Fruit without transverse veins. Calyx-tube tubular, rarely campanulate, with appendages at the top. Flowers solitary or paired in the leaf-axils, rarely in spikes or racemes of cymes (false whorls).—Species 8.
North, East, and South Africa. Some are used as ornamental or medicinal plants. Lythrum L.
7. Stamens 6. Calyx-tube top-shaped. Sepals membranous. Ovary nearly completely 2-celled. Flowers in panicles.—Species 1. South-east
Africa. Galpinia N. E. Brown
Stamens 12-18. Flowers solitary or in racemes. 8
8. Calyx-tube tubular. Petals small. Stamens 12. Ovary nearly completely
2-celled. Fruit bursting irregularly or remaining closed. Seeds
not winged. Flowers in racemes.—Species 2. East Africa and
Madagascar. They yield tanning and dyeing material and serve as ornamental plants. Woodfordia Salisb.
Calyx-tube campanulate or cupular. Ovary very incompletely 3-4-celled.
Fruit opening transversely. Seeds with a thick wing. Flowers solitary or in pairs in the leaf-axils.—Species 2. Madagascar and
East Africa. They serve as vegetables. Pemphis Forst.
9. (1.) Stamens 5-6, opposite to the petals and adnate to their base. Calyx-tube expanded. Sepals lanceolate. Ovary 2-celled. Ovules in a single row. Low trees. Flowers in panicles.—Species 1. South-east
Africa (Natal). Rhynchocalyx Oliv.
Stamens 4-23, inserted below the petals, or petals wanting. Ovules in two or more rows. Herbs, undershrubs, or shrubs. 10
10. Calyx-tube top- or saucer-shaped, without appendages. Sepals 4. Stamens inserted near the petals, singly or in clusters of 2-3 opposite the sepals. Fruit bursting irregularly or remaining closed. Seed-coat with a spongy thickening at the top. Shrubs. Leaves opposite. Flowers in panicles.—Species 1 (L. inermis L.). Tropical and North Africa.
Yields a dye (henna) and is used in perfumery and medicine. (Including
Rotantha Bak.) Lawsonia L.
Calyx-tube bell-, urn-, or cup-shaped. Sepals 4-8. Stamens remote from the petals, or petals wanting. Fruit opening by 4 valves or by a lid.
Seed-coat not specially thickened. Flowers in cymes or umbels. 11
11. Calyx-tube winged. Sepals 4. Petals none. Stamens 4, alternating with the sepals. Anthers finally kidney-shaped. Fruit opening by
4 valves. Style persisting upon the placentas. Shrubs. Leaves opposite. Flowers in axillary, 2-4-flowered umbels.—Species 1.
Island of Mauritius. Tetrataxis Hook. fil.
Calyx-tube not winged. Fruit at first opening by a small lid, later on splitting towards the base. Style persisting upon a valve or falling off.
Herbs, undershrubs, or low shrubs. Flowers in sometimes head-like cymes.—Species 40. Tropical and South Africa. (Plate 110.) Nesaea Comm.

[FAMILY 174.] SONNERATIACEAE

Trees or shrubs. Leaves opposite, entire, not dotted, without stipules. Flowers solitary, without bracteoles, regular. Sepals 6-7, fleshy, valvate in bud. Petals 6-7, linear, occasionally wanting. Stamens numerous, perigynous. Filaments bent inwards in the bud. Anthers fixed by the back, kidney-shaped, opening inwards by longitudinal slits. Ovary almost superior, with 10-20 somewhat incomplete cells not reaching the top. Ovules very numerous, attached to the partitions, inverted. Style simple; stigma entire. Fruit succulent, indehiscent or bursting irregularly. Seeds curved, exalbuminous, with a hard coat and a straight embryo. (BLATTIACEAE, under LYTHRACEAE.)

Genus 1, species 1. East Africa, Madagascar and neighbouring islands. Yields edible fruits, condiments, and medicaments. (Blatti Adans.) Sonneratia L. f.

[FAMILY 175.] PUNICACEAE

Trees or shrubs. Leaves undivided, without stipules. Flowers solitary or in clusters of 2-5 at the ends of the branches, regular, hermaphrodite. Sepals 5-8, red, fleshy, valvate in bud. Petals as many, red or yellow, imbricate and crumpled in the bud. Stamens numerous, curved inwards in the bud. Anthers fixed by the back, opening inwards by longitudinal slits. Ovary inferior or half-inferior, with several cells, which are usually arranged in 2-3 whorls placed one above the other. Ovules numerous, at first basal, afterwards parietal, inverted. Style simple; stigma 1. Fruit a berry. Seeds exalbuminous, with an outer fleshy and an inner horny coat; embryo straight, with twisted cotyledons. (GRANATEAE, under LYTHRACEAE.)

Genus 1, species 2. One of them growing wild in the Island of Socotra, the other one (P. Granatum L., pomegranate) cultivated and naturalized in northern and tropical Africa. The latter serves as an ornamental plant and yields wood, tanning and dyeing materials, medicaments, and edible fruits, from which also a drink is prepared. Punica L.

[FAMILY 176.] LECYTHIDACEAE

Trees or shrubs. Leaves alternate, undivided, without stipules. Flowers solitary or racemose, hermaphrodite. Sepals 2-5. Petals 4-6, adnate to the staminal tube, imbricate in bud, or wanting. Stamens numerous, united at the base, curved in the bud. Anthers versatile, usually basifixed, opening by longitudinal slits. Disc within the stamens, ring-shaped. Ovary inferior, 2-20-celled, with 2 or more inverted ovules in each cell. Style simple. Fruit indehiscent. Seeds exalbuminous.—Genera 4, species 15. Tropical and South-east Africa. (Under MYRTACEAE.) (Plate 111.)

1. Petals and staminodes absent. Sepals 3-5, usually 4. Stamens almost free. Disc obscure. Ovules numerous in each cell, inserted in a vertical ring round a shield-shaped placenta, horizontal, the micropyle turned outwards. Stigmas 4. Fruit a drupe. Leaves clustered.
Flowers solitary, axillary.—Species 4. Madagascar and Mascarenes.
Yielding timber. [Subfamily FOETIDIOIDEAE.] Foetidia Comm.
Petals or staminodes present. Stamens obviously united at the base.
Disc distinct. Ovules inserted in rows on slightly thickened placentas, horizontal with the micropyle turned inwards, or ascending, or pendulous.
Flowers racemose, rarely solitary, but then leaves scattered. 2
2. Sepals 5. Petals 0. Stamens and staminodes united to different heights, in 4 concentric rows, the inner row partly fertile, the rest barren. Anthers
1-celled. Disc thick. Ovary 5-20-celled. Style short; stigmas 5.
Seeds 5 or more. Flowers solitary or 2-3 together, axillary. Leaves scattered.—Species 5. Central Africa. They yield timber and edible fruits. [Subfamily NAPOLEONOIDEAE.] Napoleona Beauv.
Sepals 2-4. Petals 4-6. Stamens all fertile or the innermost barren, all united to the same height. Anthers 2-celled. Disc ring-shaped.