PHANEROGAMIA 593 



merous or pentamerous, perigynous or epigynous. Carpels usually 

 two ; ovary uni- or bi-locular. Fruit a capsule or a berry containing 

 an indefinite number of albuminous seeds. 



IMPORTANT GENERA. Saxifraga, Saxifrage, small herbaceous plants which are 

 especially numerous on crags and rocky ground in mountainous districts. They 

 have a rosette of radical leaves (cf. p. 211, chalk glands) and bear numerous 

 pentamerous flowers grouped in various types of inflorescence. The two partially 

 inferior carpels are distinct from one another above. Parnassia palustris is common 

 on wet moors, K5, C5, A 5 + 5, G(4). Ovary unilocular, placentatiou parietal. One 

 whorl of stamens modified into palmately divided staminodes, which serve as 

 nectaries. Cephalotus follicularis is an Australian, insectivorous plant, and possesses, 

 in addition to the ordinary leaves with a flat, elliptical lamina, others meta- 

 morphosed into pitchers. The species of Ribes have an inferior ovary which 

 develops into a berry, and on this account are commonly cultivated. R. rubrum 

 (Fig. 619), Red Currant, R. nigrum, Black Currant, R. grossularia, Gooseberry. 

 Other Saxifragaceae are favourite ornamental plants, e.g. Ribes aureum and 

 R. sanguineum, Hydrangea, Philadelphus, and Deutzia. 



Family 3. Hamamelidaceae. Woody plants of the tropics and sub-tropics. 

 Liquidambar is mono3cious. Flowers in heads ; male flowers apetalous, with an 

 indefinite number of stamens ; female flowers with a perianth and a bilocular ovary. 

 Liquidambar styraciflua is a common tree in North American forests. 



OFFICIAL. STYBAX PRAEPARATUS from Liquidambar orientalis. HAMAMELIDIS 

 CORTEX and FOLIA from Hamamelis virginiana. 



Family 4. Platanaceae. Stately trees with alternate, three- to five-lobed 

 leaves and large stipules. Flowers diclinous, monoecious, in small spherical heads, 

 three or four of which are borne at some distance from one another on pendulous 

 stalks. Male flowers with three to four stamens ; female flowers with four free 

 carpels. Perianth inconspicuous. 



Species of Platanus are commonly planted as shade trees by the sides of the 

 streets. 



Order 11. Rosiflorae 



Family Rosaceae ( 27 ). This is the only family in the order. Herbs, 

 shrubs, and trees with alternate, stipulate leaves, showing considerable 

 differences in form and habit. Flowers nearly always actinomorphic, 

 with the members in whorls. K 5, C 5. Stamens usually numerous. 

 Flowers perigynous or epigynous ; one to many free carpels borne 

 on the expanded, convex or hollowed floral axis. In the epigynous 

 flowers only the styles are free. The floral axis in many cases 

 takes part in the construction of the fruit. Seeds usually without 

 endosperm. 



The apocarpous pistil and numerous stamens are characteristic of the Rosaceae 

 (Fig. 620). Botli these features are also found in the Ranunculaceae or generally 

 in the Polycarpicae, but the floral members are there spirally arranged while 

 in the Rosaceae they are in whorls. The latter are further distinguished by the 

 peculiar development of the floral axis (Fig. 621). In many cases the increase in 

 number of members of the androecium and gynaeceum proceeds from an intercalary 

 zone of the hollowed floral axis, and continues for a considerable period. The 



2Q 



