1 88 CRUCIANELLA 



Crucianella L. Rubiaceae (n. n). 4 Eur., Medit. Cult. orn. fl. 



Cruciate, cross-shaped. 



Cruciferae (EP., BH.}. Dicots. (Archichl. Rhoeadales ; Panetales 



BH.}. 220 gen., 1900 sp., cosmop., but chiefly N. temp, and esp. 



Medit. ; a very natural fam., well marked off from others, though 



approaching Papaveraceae and Capparidaceae. Herbs, a few under : 



shrubs ; some ann., many perenn., forming each year a new shoot 



term, in the infl. L. usu. alt., exstip., with unicellular simple or 



branched hairs. For other peculiarities of veg. organs see gen., e.g. 



Brassica, Anastatica, Subularia, Vella, &c. Infl. usu. a raceme or 



corymb, and nearly always without bracts or bracteoles. 



Fl. usu. 5, reg., hypog., with typical formula K 2 + 2, 4, A 6, 



G (2). The K has two whorls, the C only 



one, alt. with the K as a whole. The 



petals usu. spread out in the form of a 



cross and are often clawed ; the sta. in two 



whorls, an outer of 2 short, an inner of 



4 long, sta. (tetradynamous) ; anthers intr. 



The two cpls. are placed trans v., and have 



parietal plac., but the ov. is 2-loc. on 



account of the presence of an antero-post. 



partition, the repluin or so-called spurious 



septum, an outgrowth of the placentae. 



Stigmas 2, on short style, above the 



placentae (cf. Papaveraceae). Ovules anatr. Floral Diagram 



, J . (after Eichler). 



or campylotr. 



The explanation of the morphology of 



this fl. has given rise to much dispute. It is usu. regarded as a 

 typically 2-merous fl. (cf. Papaveraceae), and the 4 petals and 4 inner 

 sta. are supposed to be due to branching. Others regard it as 4-merous 

 (e.g. Klein in Bot. Centr. 58, p. 197). Full discussion in Eichler's 

 Bliithendia.gr. or in Asa Gray's Struct. Bot. p. 206. 



On the bases of the sta. are the nectaries, the honey being secreted 

 into the often gibbous bases of the inner sepals. The sepals often 

 stand almost straight up, and the petals are then provided with claws 

 and spread out horiz. beyond the sepals. The honey is thus concealed 

 to some extent and protected from rain. The majority of the order 

 exhibit this construction more or less, thus coming into the biological 

 fl. -class AB. In many gen. the fls. are arranged in corymbs, thus 

 getting the advantage of many fls. massed together on one level 

 (cf. Umbelliferae and Compositae). Insects visiting the fls. touch 

 the anthers with one side of their bodies and the stigma with the 

 other, and may in this way effect cross-fert., as they go sometimes to 

 one, sometimes to the other, side of the fl. Dichogamy is frequent, 

 but not well marked, and in almost all self-fert. ultimately occurs. 

 fMiiller, Pert, of Fls.] 



Fr. a caps, of pod-like form ; if at least three times as long as 

 broad it is called a siliqna, if shorter a silicula. It is divided into 

 two by the replum and is usu. thin and membranous. The valves 

 break away from below upwards, leaving the replum with the seeds 

 pressed against it and adhering. The fr. may be flattened in two 



