194 BALSAMINACEAE. 



into 5 spirally coiled valves, expelling the oblong ridged seeds. Endo- 

 sperm none ; embryo nearly straight ; cotyledons flat. Later flowers small, 

 cleistogamous, apetalous. About 250 species, mostly natives of tropical 

 Asia. The family consists of the following genus and the monotypic 

 Asiatic Hydrocera. 



1. IMPATIENS L. 



Characters of family, as given above. [Name in allusion to the elastically 

 bursting pods.] 



Impatiens Balsamina L., GARDEN BALSAM, SNAP-WEED, Indian, commonly 

 cultivated in gardens, is an annual herb, l-3 tall, with oblanoolate, sharply 

 toothed, petioled leaves and clustered rose-colored to white flowers, the hairy 

 ovoid capsules about 10" long. [7. liortensis of Jones and Eeade.] 



Impatiens Sultani Hook, f., BED BALSAM, from Zanzibar, a succulent an- 

 nual 2 high or less, with thin serrate slender-petioled acute leaves 2'-3' long, 

 the rose-red flowers solitary on axillary peduncles, is grown in flower-borders. 

 A race with white flowers is known, and this was, apparently, represented in 

 1914, in the garden at Orange Valley. 



Family 4. LINACEAE Dumort. 

 FLAX FAMILY. 



Herbs, or shrubs, with perfect regular nearly symmetrical flowers. 

 Stipules mostly small or none. Sepals 5, rarely 4, imbricated, persistent. 

 Petals of the same number and alternate with the sepals, imbricated, gen- 

 erally contorted. Stamens of the same number, alternate with the petals ; 

 filaments monadelphous at the base ; anthers versatile, 2-celled. Ovary 1 , 

 2-5-celled, or by false septa 4-10-celled. Ovules anatropous. Styles 2-5. 

 Fruit mainly capsular. Seeds 1-2 in each cavity, oily ; endosperm little or 

 none; embryo straight; cotyledons flat. Some 14 genera and about 160 

 species of wide distribution. 



1. LINtTM L. 



Herbs, sometimes woody at the base, with sessile leaves, and perfect 

 flowers. Inflorescence cymo^e, racemose or paniculate. Stipules a pair of 

 glands, or wanting. Sepals 5. Petals 5, fugacious. Stamens 5, sometimes 

 with interspersed staminodia. Ovary 4 5-celled, or 8-10-celled by false par- 

 titions, the real cavities 2-ovuled. Capsule 5-10-valved. [The classical Latin 

 name.] A few species, natives of temperate or warm regions, the following 

 typical. 



