POPULAR FLORA. 153 



3G. EVErTIlNG-PRIMROSE FAMILY. Order ONAGRACE^. 

 Ilsrbs, or soaietiincs slirub.^, known by having the parts of the blossom in fours, the tube 

 of the calyx coherent with the 4-celled ovar}', and often prolonged boyond, its summit 

 bearing 4 ])etals, and 4 or 8 stamens. Style 1, slender: stigmas generally 4. In grccn- 

 liouse cultivation we have several species of Fuchsia, well known ibr their pretty hanging 

 flowers, the smaller kinds called Ladles' Eardrop. The showy parti is a colored (generally 

 red) calyx, its 4 lobes longer than the purple petals. Fuchsias are shrubs; the rest of tho 

 family are herbs Clakkia, knovk^i by the long-clawed petals, and broad petal-like stigmas, 

 is sometimes cultivated, and so are several Evening-Primroses. The commonest wild 

 plants of the family arc Evenixg-Pkimuoses and Willow-iiekds. 



Eveuing-Priiurose. G^nothera. 

 Calvx witli tlie tube continued on bevond the oviirv, beiiriii'r 4 narrow lobes turned down, 4 jren- 

 endly obcordate petals, and 8 stnmens. — Several species are cultivated more or less commonly in 

 flower-gardens. The following are common wild, and have yellow flowers, in summer. 



1. Common 1^. Tall; leaves lance-shape<l; flowers in a spike, opening at sunset or in cloudy weather, 



sweet-scented; pod cylindrical; root biennial. Fields, &c. iE. biennis, 



2. Low E. Stems sever:** from a pereimial root, 1° to 8° high; flowers large, opening in sur.shine; 



pods rather club-shaped, and 4-winged, stalked. "\V. & S. 0'2.fiiit'utisa. 



3. Small E. Stems \° to 1° high ; flowers small, h' wide, open in sunshine; pods club-shaped, scarcely 



stalked, strongly 4-angled. Fields, &C. (E.j'umiLi,. 



Wlllowhcrh* F.jnlbhlum. 



Calyx with its tube not continued beyond the ovary. Petals 4, purple or whitish. Stamens 8. Pod 

 long and slender, many-seeded; the seeds bearing a long tuft of downy liairs. 



1. Gkkat W. Stem simple, 4° to 7° iiigh: leaves lance-shaped; flowers showy, pink-purple, in a long 



loose spike; petals on claws, widely spreading; stamens and style turned down. Pich ground, 

 especially where it has been burned over or newly cleared. E. anf/usiijoliuin. 



2. Small \V. Branching, l"" to 2'' high; leaves lance-oblong, commonly purple-veined; flowers very 



small; petals purplish. Wet places, every where. E. coloraiam, 



37. CACTUS FAMILY. Order CACTACE^E. 

 Fleshy and generally prickly plants, without any leaves, except little scales or points, of 

 very various and strange shapes, generally the petals and always the stamens very numer- 

 ous, and on the one-celled ovary, which in fruit makes a berry. Being house-plants (with 

 one exception) they must here be passed by, merely mentioning the 



Piuckly-Pkau Cactus, which grows hi dry sandy or rocky places, southward, ami consists of flat 

 an<l rather leaf like rounded joints of stem, growing one out of nnother, prickly at the buds, 

 and bearing yellow flowers of rather few petals; the ovary making a largo berry full of swcot and 

 eat.able pulp. OjJunlia vul(;ari^ 



