200 FIGWORT FAMILY 



A peculiarity of several genera whose stamens are in 

 pairs is that the anthers of opposite pairs are pressed 

 tightly together in such a way that the pollen is kept 

 from falling until a visiting insect, pushing against the 

 filaments of the stamens in his search for nectar, separates 

 the anthers and releases a shower of pollen, which falls 

 on the insect's back in the right position for cross-pollinat- 

 ing the next flower visited, when the pollen is brushed 

 off on the stigma. 



In northern fields and woods mullein, painted-cup, 

 chelone, and veronica represent this family, which includes 

 among cultivated plants the snapdragons, foxgloves, calceo- 

 larias, russelia, or coral plant, and others. 



KEY TO THE FIGWORT FAMILY 



Flowers Yellow page 



Leaves deeply cut, fls. large Dasystoma 202 



Leaves deeply cut, fls. small Afzelia 202 



Leaves toothed, fls. small Gratiola 205 



Flowers Pink or Rose Purple Gerardia 203 



Flowers Blue, Purple, ob White 



FLOWERS IN terminal INFLORESCENCE 



Flowers in panicles Pentstemon 201 



Flowers in racemes Linaria 200 



Flowers in spikes Buchnera 204 



FLOWERS IN LEAF-AXILS 



Stems Creeping 



Stems hairy, stamens 4 Septilia 205 



Stems smooth, stamens 4 Monniera 205 



Stems smooth, stamens 2 Ilysanthes 205 



Stems Generally Erect 



Flowers 4-lobed Scoparia 202 



Flowers 5-lobed, Ivs. alternate Capraria 202 



Flowers 5-lobed, Ivs. opposite Mecardonia 205 



Flowers 2-lipped. Plants rough-hairy .Sophronanthe 205 



Flowers 2-lipped. Plants not rough Gratiola 205 



Toad-Flax (Genus Linaria) 



Two similar species of this genus bloom in winter 

 in sandy soil, often growing by thousands in waste grounds. 



