Sarcopyramis MELASTOMACEAE-ONAGRACEAE Jussiaea 



2. Sarcopyramis Wall. filW^M (Jou Hui Ts'ao Shu) 



A glabrous herb with 3-ribbed ovate lvs.: fls. small, rose-purple; calyx tube 

 glabrous, 4-winged; stamens 8; anthers oblong, with spurred connectives; ovary 

 half -inferior, 4-celled: fr. a capsule, opening with 4 valves; seeds numerous, oblong 

 and tuberculate. One species, in eastern Asia. (Greek: sarko, flesh, and pyramis, a 

 pyramid, referring to the calyx which has the form of a fleshy inverted pyramid.) 



1. Sarcopyramis nepalensis Wall. \%M^ (Jou Hui Ts'ao; Fleshy-head Herb) (H.F. 

 2:541). Herb, to 5cm.; fls. pink, VIII. Southeastern Asia; locally in Ki. Moist 

 banks. 



127. ONAGRACEAE Evening Primrose Family WMMPr (Liu Yeh Ts'ai K'o) 

 Terrestrial herbs, rarely shrubs or trees: lvs. not ribbed: fls. perfect, regular, 

 often conspicuous, usually solitary or few; calyx lobes and petals usually 4; stamens 

 2xthe petals, or fewer; ovary inferior, 2-4-celled; style 1: fr. a capsule or berry 

 with many small seeds. 20 genera with 650 species, widely distributed, but especially 

 abundant in America; 5 genera and 35 species in China. 



Key to the Genera 



A. Herbs. 



B. Petals and stamens 4 or more: fr. a capsule. 



C. Seeds with a tuft of silky hairs at one end 1. Epilobium 



CC. Seeds without a tuft of hairs. 



Calyx tube scarcely or not at all prolonged beyond the ovary; 

 lobes persistent. 

 Stamens 2x the calyx lobes: If. blades with rounded or 



emarginate apex 2. Jussiaea 



Stamens lx the calyx lobes: If. blades acute at apex.... 3. Ludivigia 

 Calyx tube prolonged beyond the ovary; lobes deciduous... 4. Oenothera 



BB. Petals and stamens 2: fr. a small bristly bur 5. Circaea 



AA. Shrubs: calyx tube prolonged beyond the ovary, colored and showy .. 6. Fuchsia 



1. Epilobium Linn. Willow Herb WM^M (Liu Yeh Ts'ai Shu) 

 Herbs (ours), sometimes suffrutescent, with willow-like lvs.: fls. purple, rose- 

 colored to white, rarely yellow; petals 4; stamens 8, unequal; ovary 4-celled ; stigma 

 4-lobed: capsule slender; seeds many, each with a tuft of silky hairs. 200 species, 

 temperate parts of the world; 20 in China. (Greek: epi, upon, and lobus, pod re- 

 ferring to the structure of the flower. 



1. Epilobium roseum Schreb. (H.F. 2:584). Erect herb, to lm.; fls. pink, VII- 

 VIII; fr. VIII-IX. Eurasia; locally in An., Hun., Hup., Ki. Woodland, forest. 

 Fig. 262. 



2. Jussiaea Linn. Primrose Willow i^MM (Shui Lung Shu) 

 Erect woody or prostrate herbaceous (ours) plants with alternate entire lvs.: fls. 

 solitary and axillary, yellow or white; tube of the calyx not prolonged beyond the 

 ovary; lobes linear persistent; stamens 2xthe petals; ovary 4-5-celled: capsule 8-10- 

 ribbed; seeds not hairy-tufted. 50 species, in temperate and warm countries, most 

 abundant in South America; 6 in China. (In honor of Bernard de Jussieu, 1699-1777, 

 noted French botanist, founder of the natural system of plant classification.) 



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