1. Flowers in terminal, raceme- or umbel-like cymes. Shrubs or small trees.
Ovary 2-4-celled with numerous ovules in each cell. Fruit a capsule. 2
Flowers solitary or in fascicles in the axils of the leaves, with glands at the base of the pedicels. Herbs, rarely (Pretreothamnus) shrubs, but then ovules 3 in each ovary-cell. 4
2. Inflorescences umbel- or fascicle-like. Glands at the base of the pedicels none. Corolla-tube moderately long, funnel-shaped, neither spurred nor curved. Anthers included; halves divergent, pendulous. Disc slightly one-sided. Ovary-cells not or very incompletely chambered. Fruit beset with hooked bristles. Seeds narrowly winged. Leaves large, broad, long-stalked, lobed. Spines none.—Species 6. Madagascar.
(Under Harpagophytum DC.) Uncarina (Baill.) Stapf
Inflorescences raceme-like. Glands at the base of the pedicels presente.
Corolla-tube very long, cylindrical, spurred or curved. Ovary-cell, nearly completely chambered. Leaves small, partly replaced by spines. 3
3. Corolla spurred. Anthers scarcely exserted, with parallel halves. Disc one-sided. Stem much thickened at the base.—Species 6. Central
Africa. Sesamothamnus Welw.
Corolla not spurred, with an S-shaped tube, yellow. Anthers exserted, with divergent halves. Disc equal-sided. Stem not much thickened.
Species 1. Southern West Africa (Damaraland). Sigmatosiphon Engl.
4. Ovary and fruit 1-celled. Ovules 2, erect. Seed 1. Calyx-lobes very unequal. Corolla violet; tube widened from the base, almost straight.
Anther-halves parallel. Disc equal-sided. Stem prostrate, hairy.
Leaves undivided. Flowers solitary.—Species 1. Southern West
Africa (Angola). Used medicinally. Linariopsis Welw.
Ovary and fruit 2-4-celled. Ovules 2 or more in each cell. 5
5. Ovary and fruit 2-celled, with undivided cells. Ovules descending or horizontal. Leaves toothed, lobed, or divided. Flowers solitary. 6
Ovary and fruit 2-4-celled, each cell completely or incompletely divided
into two chambers. 10
6. Ovules 2 in each cell of the ovary. 7
Ovules 8 or more in each cell of the ovary. Anthers opening by long slits.
Disc one-sided. Succulent, prostrate herbs. 9
7. Fruit 4-winged, without spines. Anther-halves divergent, opening by short slits. Disc one-sided. Corolla yellow or red. Stem tuberous at the base.—Species 15. Central and South Africa. Pterodiscus Hook.
Fruit wingless, bearing spines or tubercles. Corolla yellow. Succulent herbs. 8
8. Fruit with a large spine at the base of each angle.—Species 1. East
Africa and Madagascar. Yields vegetables and is used in medicine. Pedalium Royen
Fruit without large spines at the base, but with small spines or tubercles on the flanks. Seeds winged.—Species 1. East Africa. (Under
Pedalium Royen). Pedaliophytum Engl.
9. Ovules 8 in each cell of the ovary. Corolla yellow; tube deeply saccate at the base.—Species 1. South-east Africa. Holubia Oliv.
Ovules numerous in each cell of the ovary. Corolla red; tube not or slightly saccate at the base. Fruit with several rows of recurved spines.—Species
3. South and Central Africa. Noxious weeds. “Grapple plant.” (Uncaria Burch.) Harpagophytum DC.
10. Ovules 2-3 in each chamber of the ovary, ascending, or one ascending, the other descending. Fruit a nut. 11
Ovules numerous in each chamber, at least in the larger ones, descending or horizontal. Fruit a capsule. 12
11. Ovules 2 in each of the 4 chambers of the ovary. Fruit with 2 spines in the middle. Corolla red. Trailing herbs. Leaves lobed.—Species 1.
Tropical and South Africa. Pretrea J. Gay
Ovules 3 in each chamber. Shrubs.—Species 1. Northern East Africa
(Somaliland). Pretreothamnus Engl.
12. Cells of the ovary and fruit unequal in size and containing an unequal number of ovules or seeds. Corolla violet or white. Fruit with 2-8 spines or tubercles at the base; only the larger cell dehiscent. Erect herbs. Leaves toothed or lobed. Flowers usually in cymes.—Species
3. Central Africa to Namaland. Rogeria J. Gay
Cells of the ovary and fruit equal. Flowers solitary. 13
13. Fruit with two horns or spines at the apex. Corolla red, violet, or yellow.—Species
5. Central and South Africa. Some are used as ornamental or medicinal plants. Ceratotheca Endl.
Fruit without horns nor spines. Corolla red or white.—Species 20.
Central and South Africa; one species (S. indicum L.) also cultivated in
Egypt and Madagascar. The seeds of this and a second species are used as food or as a condiment and for preparing meal and oil; some species yield dyes or medicaments or serve as ornamental plants. (Plate 138.) Sesamum L.
[FAMILY 211.] MARTYNIACEAE
Erect, hairy herbs. Leaves broad, undivided. Flowers in racemes, with large bracteoles, irregular, hermaphrodite. Calyx unequally 5-lobed, slit in front. Corolla obliquely campanulate, two-lipped, 5-lobed, red. Fertile stamens 2, inserted on the lower part of the corolla-tube, included; staminodes 3. Disc regular. Ovary superior, 1-celled, with 2 two-cleft parietal placentas. Ovules 4-16, descending, inverted. Style 1, long, with 2 stigmas or stigma-lobes. Fruit ending in two horns, 8-ribbed, 4-chambered and 4-seeded, opening loculicidally at the apex; exocarp leathery, endocarp hard. Seeds with a straight embryo and thin albumen. (Under PEDALINEAE.)
Genus 1, species 1. Naturalized in Madagascar and Mauritius. An ornamental and medicinal plant. Martynia L.
[FAMILY 212.] OROBANCHACEAE
Parasitic herbs destitute of green colour. Leaves reduced to scales. Flowers in terminal spikes or racemes, irregular, hermaphrodite. Calyx 2-5-toothed or consisting of two entire or 2-toothed segments or sepals. Corolla 4-5-lobed, imbricate in bud. Stamens inserted on the tube of the corolla, 4, in two pairs of unequal length. Anthers opening lengthwise. Ovary superior, 1-celled, with 4 parietal placentas. Ovules numerous, inverted. Style simple. Fruit a loculicidal capsule. Seeds with a pitted testa, a copious albumen, and an undivided embryo.—Genera 2, species 30. North and Central Africa. (Plate 139.)
Calyx 5-lobed, with blunt or rounded, nearly equal lobes. Corolla almost equally 5-lobed. Bracteoles adnate to the calyx.—Species 6. North and Central Africa. (Under Phelipaea E. Mey.) (Plate 139.) Cistanche Hoffm. & Link
Calyx 2-5-toothed with pointed teeth, or consisting of two entire or 2-toothed segments or sepals.—Species 25. North and East Africa; two species also naturalized in South Africa. Some are used as vegetables or as medicinal or ornamental plants, others are noxious weeds.
“Broomrape.” (Including Phelipaea E. Mey.) Orobanche (Tournef.) G. Beck
[FAMILY 213.] GESNERACEAE
Herbs or undershrubs. Leaves undivided, without stipules. Flowers irregular, hermaphrodite. Sepals united below. Petals united below, imbricate in bud. Fertile stamens 2. Disc present. Ovary superior, 1-celled, with parietal placentas, sometimes incompletely 2-4-celled. Ovules numerous, inverted. Style simple. Fruit a capsule. Seeds exalbuminous; embryo straight.—Genera 6, species 65. Tropical and South Africa. (CRYTANDREAE.) (Plate 140.)
