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X. YIOLARIEiE. 101 



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2. lONIDIUM, Vent. 



(Pigca, DC.) 



Sepals not produced at the base. Petals spreading, the lowest sometimes 

 slightly larger than the otliers, more frequently very much hirger, with a broad 

 claw, gibbous or saccate at the base. Anthers nearly sessile, or on distinct 

 hiainents^ the connectives flat, produced into a membranous appendage be- 

 yond the cells, those of the 2 lower oues bearing a dorsal rcflexed protu- 

 berance, spur, or gland, the 2 rarely united into one. Style thickened and 

 incurved at the top, with the stigma in front. Capsule opening clastically 

 in 3 valves. Seeds ovoid-globular, with a crustaceous testa. — Herbs or small 

 shrubs. Leaves alternate or rarely opposite, usually narrow. Stipules S2nall 



and narrow. Peduncles axillary or in a terminal raceme, I- or several- 

 flowered. 



A considerable genus, chiefly tropical, and the greater number of species 

 American; four or five are found in tropical Asia and Africa, and one of 

 these occurs in Australia, the others here enumerated are all endemic. 



"edizticles axillary, 1 -flowered, or\ery rarely here and there 2-tlowered. 

 l^wer petal more than twice as long as the calyx. 

 -Leaves entire, or rarely toothed. Appendages of the lower filaments 



nearly glabrous. Seeds striate I, L sirfruticosum. 



leaves toothed. Appendages of the lower fiLiments woolly-hairy. 



Seeds smooth , 2. L auraniiacum, 



hower petal not half as long again as the calyx ....... 3. /, brevilabre. 



Paunelea l-ilowcred in the upper axils, the upper ones longer tlian the 



leaves, and forming a terminal leafy raceme 3. /. Ferno?m. 



■t^eauncles mostly 2- to 4-flowercd, not longer than the leaves. Lower 



petal small . 4. Lflonbundam, 



^^uucles slender, much'longer than the leaves, with a leaQcss raceme 



of 2 or more flowers. 

 ^Pper leaves often opi)osite. Sepals lanceolate, shorter than the 



lateral petals ....,.,.. ^- LfiUforme. 



- leaves all alternate. Sepals' ovate' as long as or longer than the 



lateral petals . 1- ^- cahjcimim, 



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1. I. STiffruticosum, Glng. In DC. Prod. i. 311. Much- branched, gla- 

 "^rous or very sli-htlv pubescent, and usually from 1 to H ft. high, and more 

 ^,\,|f_*s woody at the' base. Leaves alternate, narrow-liu^ear, or_ rarcly^hut^r- 



minute 



--""J a^ tuc uii^iii. jueaves aiLeiiuuc, licunj" ^w.^"*, — -—-v 



ooiong or lanceolate, entire or rarely toothed, niostly 1 to 2 in. long, 

 jiuncles axillary, fdiform, 1 -flowered, 2 to 4 lines long, with a pan- of mi _ 

 wucts under the pedicel. Sepals lanceolate, very acute, with a very proim- 

 >ient green midrib, U to 2 lines long. Lateral petals rather longer than the 

 ^^Jyx, with a broad ovate-falcate base, and a small, ciliate, obtuse extrcimty, 

 sometimes expanded into a small lamina ; upper petals smaller ; lowest petal 

 P""-ple or rarely yellow, about f in. long, the claw longer than the other 

 P^als, saccate at the base, the lamina broadly ovate and longer than the 

 ^'aw. Pilanients at least half as long as the anthers, the 3 lowcr_ ones with 



a thick 





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