Pisonia aculeata L.

A Branch with inflorescences. B Male flower. C Female flower. D Female flower cut lengthwise. E Fruit. F Fruit cut lengthwise. G Group of fruits.

20. (9.) Spurious staminodes interposed between the stamens. 21
Spurious staminodes none. 26
21. Spurious staminodes small, entire. Ovary hairy. Either perianth clothed with long silky hairs or leaves alternate. 22
Spurious staminodes usually quadrate and fringed, more rarely narrow, but then perianth not clothed with long silky hairs and leaves (as nearly always) opposite. 23
22. Ovary with a horn-like appendage.—Species 6. South and Central Africa.
(Under Sericocoma Fenzl). Cyphocarpa Lopr.
Ovary without a horn. (See 14.) Sericocoma Fenzl
23. Partial inflorescences consisting of 3 fertile flowers without sterile ones.
Perianth hairy. Erect shrubs.—Species 4. South and Central Africa.
(Under Sericocoma Fenzl or Cyphocarpa Lopr.) Sericocomopsis Schinz
Partial inflorescences consisting of fertile and sterile flowers, or of 2 fertile ones only. 24
24. Stem woody, climbing. Leaves ovate. Sterile flowers reduced to long tufts of hairs. Perianth glabrous. Spurious staminodes narrow, entire or toothed.—Species 2. Equatorial regions (Uganda and Cameroons). Sericostachys Gilg & Lopr.
Stem herbaceous or woody at the base only, erect or ascending. Sterile flowers usually reduced to spines. Spurious staminodes usually broad and fringed. 25
25. Perianth-segments thickened and hardening at the base, yellow or red.
(See 17.) Centema Hook. fil.
Perianth-segments not hardening.—Species 15. Tropical and South
Africa. Some are used in medicine. (Desmochaeta DC.) Cyathula Lour.
26. (20.) Partial inflorescences consisting of 2 fertile flowers without sterile ones, and arranged in globose heads. Perianth white, with silky hairs.
Ovary hairy. Shrubs.—Species 1. German South-West Africa.
(Under Marcellia Baill., Sericocomopsis Schinz, or Sericocoma Fenzl). Leucosphaera Gilg
Partial inflorescences consisting of fertile and sterile flowers, the latter sometimes reduced to bristles or spines. 27
27. Perianth-segments thickened and hardened at the base, yellow or red.
Ovary glabrous. (See 17.) Centema Hook. fil.
Perianth-segments not hardening. 28
28. Sterile flowers consisting of hooked spines.—Species 6. Tropical and
South Africa. Pupalia Juss.
Sterile flowers consisting of not hooked spines, bristles, or hairs. 29
29. Partial inflorescences consisting of 2 fertile and 2 sterile flowers, the latter reduced to bristles or spines. Ovary hairy. Herbs or undershrubs.—Species
10. Southern West Africa to Namaland. (Under Sericocoma
Fenzl). Marcellia Baill.
Partial inflorescences consisting of 1-3 fertile and 4-6 sterile flowers.
Ovary glabrous. 30
30. Partial inflorescences consisting of 1-3 fertile and 4-6 sterile flowers, the latter reduced to branched spines. Collective inflorescence interrupted below. Style very short. Herbs.—Species 2. South Africa and
German South-West Africa. (Under Marcellia Baill. or Sericocoma
Fenzl). Sericorema Lopr.
Partial inflorescences consisting of 3 fertile and 6 sterile flowers, the latter reduced to long simple spines or bristles. Style thread-shaped. 31
31. Sterile flowers elongating in the fruit into yellow spines. Herbs.—Species
1. German East Africa. (Under Marcellia Baill.) Kentrosphaera Volk.
Sterile flowers elongating in the fruit into yellow or brown, rather soft bristles. Shrubs.—Species 3. East Africa. (Under Marcellia Baill.) Dasysphaera Volk.
32. (4.) Perianth-segments spreading. Style short, with 2-4 stigmas. Fruit succulent, baccate. Herbs or undershrubs. Leaves ovate.—Species
1. Tropics. Deeringia R. Br.
Perianth-segments erect. Fruit dry. 33
33. Fruit opening lengthwise. Style very short, with 2-3 stigmas. Filaments united at the base only. Leaves narrow. Shrubs.—Species 1.
Madagascar. Henonia Moq.
Fruit opening by a lid. Herbs or undershrubs. 34
34. Spurious staminodes longer than the stamens, 2-lobed. Style short.
Leaves narrow.—Species 10. South Africa and southern Central
Africa. Hermbstaedtia Reichb.
Spurious staminodes shorter than the stamens or wanting.—Species 30.
Tropical and South Africa. Some are used as vegetables or as textile, ornamental, medicinal, or fodder-plants. (Including Lestiboudesia
Thou.) Celosia L.

SUBORDER PHYTOLACCINEAE

[FAMILY 69.] NYCTAGINACEAE

Leaves entire, toothed, or lobed. Flowers regular. Perianth simple, but often surrounded by a calyx-like involucre, 3-6-lobed, valvate or folded in the bud, persistent. Stamens with the filaments united below; connective narrow; anthers opening laterally. Ovary superior, 1-celled. Ovule 1, erect, inverted. Style 1, lateral. Fruit a nut, enclosed by the enlarged and hardened perianth. Seed albuminous.—Genera 5, species 30. (Plate 42.)

1. Seed with a straight embryo. Shrubs or trees. Leaves opposite. Flowers in corymbs, inconspicuous. Involucre consisting of 2-3 small bracts.
Perianth tubular or campanulate, 4-5-toothed. Stamens 5-15.—Species
6. Tropical and South-east Africa. (Plate 42.) [Tribe
PISONIEAE.] Pisonia Plum.
Seed with a curved embryo. Herbs or undershrubs, rarely shrubs or trees, but then leaves alternate or fascicled and flowers in fascicles. Stamens
1-10. [Tribe MIRABILEAE.] 2
2. Stem woody, spinous. Leaves alternate or fascicled. Flowers in fascicles.
Stamens 5-10, unequal. Ovary oblong. [Subtribe BOUGAINVILLEINAE.] 3
Stem herbaceous or woody at the base only, not spinous. Leaves opposite.
Flowers hermaphrodite. Ovary ovoid or globose. [Subtribe BOERHAVIINAE.] 4
3. Clusters of flowers surrounded by an involucre of 3 large, coloured bracts.
Fruit not winged. Leaves scattered.—Species 1. Naturalized in the tropics. Ornamental plant. Bougainvillea Commers.
Clusters of flowers without an involucre. Fruit winged. Leaves fascicled.—Species
2. South Africa, southern West Africa, and Madagascar.
(Including Amphoranthus S. Moore). Phaeoptilon Radlk.
4. Flowers large, surrounded by a calyx-like, 4-5-cleft involucre.—Species 1
(M. Jalapa L., marvel of Peru). Naturalized in various regions. An ornamental and medicinal plant. Mirabilis L.
Flowers surrounded singly or in clusters by some early deciduous bracts.—Species
20. Some of them are used as vegetables or in medicine. Boerhavia L.

[FAMILY 70.] CYNOCRAMBACEAE

Herbs. Leaves undivided, stipulate, the lower opposite, the upper alternate. Flowers monoecious, the male in groups of 2-4 opposite the leaves, the female in axillary clusters of 3. Perianth of the male flowers 2-3-parted, valvate in bud, of the female tubular, 2-4-toothed. Stamens 10-30, free; anthers linear. Ovary inferior, 1-celled. Ovule 1, basal, curved, with the micropyle turned downwards. Style simple, basal. Fruit a drupe. Seed with a curved embryo and cartilaginous albumen. (THELIGONACEAE, under CHENOPODIACEAE or URTICACEAE.)