EXOGENOUS OR DICOTYLEDONOUS PLANTS. 447 



in the persistent corolla. Seeds very numerous, minute. Embryo 

 minute at the extremity of the albumen. — Ex. Orobanche, Epi- 

 phegus (Beech-drops), &c. Astringent, bitter, and escharotic. The 

 pulverized root of Epiphegus (thence called Cancer-root) is appUed 

 to open cancers. 



8G8. Ord. GesneriaceSB, consisting chiefly of tropical herbs or tender 

 shrubby plants, with green foliage and showy flowers, the calyx 

 often partly adherent to the ovary, agrees with Orobanchaceae in the 

 parietal placentation, structure of the seeds, «fec. Many are culti- 

 vated in conservatories for ornament, such as species of Gloxinia 

 and Achimenes. 



860. Ord. BignoniaceED {Bignonia Family). Mostly trees, or 

 climbing or twining shrubby plants, with large and showy flowers, 

 and opposite, simple, or mostly pinnately-compound leaves. Corolla 

 with a more or less irregular five-lobed or bilabiate limb. Stamens 

 five, of which one, and often three, are reduced to sterile filaments 

 or rudiments (Fig. 409), or four and didynamous. Ovary one- 

 celled with two parietal placenta, or two-celled by a false partition 

 stretched between the placenta, or rarely by their meeting in the 

 axis. Pod two-valved, many-seeded. Seeds winged (Fig. 601), 

 destitute of albumen. Cotyledons foliaceous, flat, heart-shaped, also 

 notched at the apex. — Ex. Bignonia, Tecoma (Trumiiet-creeper), 

 Catalpa, and other tropical genera. Of httle importance, except as 

 ornamental plants. 



870. Subord. Scsameae {Sesamum FamihJ) has few and wingless 

 seeds ; the fruit generally indurated or drupaceous, often two- to 

 four-horned, sometimes perforated in the centre from the dissepi- 

 ments not reaching the axis before they diverge and become pla- 

 centiferous, and spuriously four- to eight-celled by the cohesion of 

 parts- of the placenta? with the walls of the pericarp. — Ex. Sesa- 

 mum, Martynia (Unicorn-plant), and a few tropical plants. They 

 are mucilaginous ; and the seeds of Sesamum yield a good fixed oil. 



871. Subord. CresceilticSB, consists of the Cala1)ash-tree (Crescentia 

 Cujete) and a few allies, among them Parmentiera edulis, the Can- 

 dle-tree of Panama, which also have wingless seeds. The subacid 

 pulp of the gourd-like fruit is edible ; the hard shell is used for bot- 

 tles, or calabashes. 



872. Ord. AcantliaceSB {Acanthus Family). Herbs or shrubby 

 plants, with bracteate showy flowers, and opposite simple leaves, 

 without stipules. Corolla bilabiate, or sometimes almost regularly 



