Ardisiandra Sibthorpioides Hook.

A Flowering branch. B Flower cut lengthwise. C Seed. D Seed cut lengthwise.

[FAMILY 191.] PRIMULACEAE

Herbs or undershrubs. Leaves undivided or lobed, without stipules. Flowers solitary or in umbels racemes or panicles, without bracteoles, 3-7-merous, hermaphrodite. Petals usually united below, with imbricate or contorted aestivation. Fertile stamens as many as the petals and opposite to them. Ovary usually superior, 1-celled, with a free central placenta. Ovules several or many, half-inverted. Style simple; stigma entire. Fruit a capsule. Seeds with ventral hilum; albumen fleshy; embryo small, axile.—Genera 11, species 45. (Plate 122.)

1. Ovary inferior or half-inferior. Corolla white, 5-cleft, regular, imbricate in bud, with 5 scales at the throat. Ovules numerous. Flowers in terminal racemes or panicles. Leaves alternate.—Species 2. Used as vegetables. [Tribe SAMOLEAE.] Samolus L.
Ovary superior. 2
2. Corolla irregular, red. Calyx prickly. Ovules 5. Flowers in terminal racemes. Leaves alternate, linear, prickly toothed.—Species 1.
North Africa. Used medicinally. [Tribe CORIDEAE.] Coris L.
Corolla regular. Calyx not prickly. 3
3. Corolla-lobes bent back, with contorted aestivation, red or white. Ovules numerous. Stem tuberous. Leaves radical, stalked, broad. Flowers solitary, radical.—Species 4. North Africa. Used as ornamental or medicinal plants; the tubers are poisonous. [Tribe CYCLAMINEAE.] Cyclamen L.
Corolla-lobes erect or spreading. Stem not tuberous. 4
4. Corolla with contorted aestivation. [Tribe LYSIMACHIEAE.] 5
Corolla with imbricate, not contorted aestivation. [Tribe ANDROSACEAE.] 9
5. Corolla smaller than the calyx. Flowers solitary in the axils of the leaves. 6
Corolla larger than the calyx; petals united below. 8
6. Petals 3, free. Fruit 2-seeded, opening in 3 valves. Leaves opposite.—Species
1. Naturalized in the Canary Islands. (Under Asterolinum
Link & Hoffmsg.) Pelletiera St. Hil.
Petals 4-5, united below. Fruit many-seeded. 7
7. Corolla-tube short. Fruit opening by a lid. Leaves alternate, at least the upper ones.—Species 1. North and East Africa. Centuneulus L.
Corolla-tube long. Fruit opening by 4-5 valves. Leaves opposite.—Species
2. North and East Africa. Asterolinum Link & Hoffmsg.
8. Fruit opening by a lid. Corolla red or blue. Flowers solitary, axillary.—Species
20. Some of them yield a fish-poison or medicaments, or serve as ornamental plants. “Pimpernel.” Anagallis L.
Fruit opening by valves. Corolla usually yellow or white.—Species 12.
North, South, and East Africa and Madagascar. Some are used as
ornamental or medicinal plants. (Including Lubinia Vent.) Lysimachia L.
9. Stamens with an acuminate connective, inserted at the base of the corolla.
Corolla white, about as long as the calyx, bell-shaped, deeply cleft, ciliate. Flowers solitary or 2-3 together in the axils of the leaves.
Leaves alternate, stalked, cordate, lobed. Stem creeping.—Species 1.
Mountains of Central Africa. (Plate 122.) Ardisiandra Hook.
Stamens with an obtuse connective, inserted in the tube of the corolla.
Flowers terminal, solitary or in umbels or whorls. Leaves radical.
Stem erect, sometimes very short. 10
10. Corolla smaller than the calyx, bell-shaped, with a short tube, whitish or reddish. Flowers in umbels. Leaves elliptical, subsessile.—Species 1.
North Africa. Used medicinally. Androsace L.
Corolla larger than the calyx, salver-shaped, with a long tube. Leaves spatulate.—Species 2. North Africa and Abyssinia. Used as ornamental or medicinal plants. “Primrose.” Primula L.

[FAMILY 192.] PLUMBAGINACEAE

Herbs, undershrubs, or shrubs. Leaves undivided. Flowers in spike-head or panicle-like inflorescences, regular or nearly so, 5-merous, hermaphrodite, bracteolate. Calyx with valvate or open aestivation, usually folded. Petals more or less clearly united, with contorted aestivation. Stamens as many as the petals and opposite to them. Anthers turned inwards. Ovary superior, 1-celled. Ovule 1, suspended from the basal funicle, inverted, with superior micropyle. Style or style-branches 5. Seeds with a straight embryo and mealy albumen.—Genera 7, species 90. (Plate 123.)

1. Styles united high up. Stamens generally free from the corolla. Inflorescence usually simple; each flower with 2 bracteoles, which usually bear no flowers in their axils. [Tribe PLUMBAGINEAE.] 2
Styles free or united at the base only. Stamens attached to the corolla.
Inflorescence composed of cymes; each flower with 1-2 bracteoles, one of which bears a flower in its axil. [Tribe STATICEAE.] 4
2. Sepals glandular, evidently united below. Corolla salver-shaped. Stamens free from the corolla. Undershrubs.—Species 9. Some of them yield arrow-poison, tanning materials, or medicaments, or serve as ornamental plants. Plumbago L.
Sepals without glands, free or nearly so. Shrubs. 3
3. Stamens inserted in the middle of the corolla-tube. Corolla salver-shaped, pink or violet. Inflorescence capitate.—Species 2. Abyssinia. Ceratostigma Bunge
Stamens free from the corolla. Corolla funnel-shaped. Inflorescence spicate-paniculate.—Species 3. Central and South Africa. (Vogelia
Lam.) (Plate 123.) Dyerophyton O. Ktze.
4. Stamens inserted in the middle of the corolla-tube. Styles united nearly halfway up. Corolla blue, with a long tube. Undershrubs.—Species 3.
North Africa. (Bubania Gir.) Limoniastrum Moench
Stamens inserted at the base of the corolla. 5