184 



the 36° and 47° N. lat. that in our hemisphere the greatest number of species 

 is found ; the chain of the Alps, Italy, Greece, Caucasus, the Altai range, are 

 their true country. In whatever direction we leave these limits, the number 

 of species rapidly decreases. In the southern hemisphere, the Cape of Good 

 Hope (lat. 34° S.) is another centre of habitation, containing not fewer than 63 

 species. This locality has a climate so different from that of our mountains, 

 that it may be easily imagined that the species capable of living there differ 

 materially from those of our own hemisphere : in fact, they belong to other 

 genera." Of 300 species, only 19 are found within the tropics. 



Properties. The milky juice is rather acrid, but nevertheless the roots 

 and young shoots of some, particularly of Campanula Rapunculus, or Ram- 

 pion, of Phyteuma spicata, of Canarina Campanula, &c, are an occasional 

 article of food. The chief value of the order, however, is its beauty. 



Examples. Campanula, Wahlenbergia. 



CLXXV. LOBELIACEiE. 



Campanulaceje, § 2. R. Brown Prodr. 562. (1810).— Lobeliace*, Juss. Ann. Mus. 18. 1. 

 (1811) ; Dec. and Duby, 310. (1828) ; Lindl. Synops. 137. (1829.) 



Diagnosis. Monopetalous milky dicotyledons, with an inferior ovarium, an 

 irregular corolla, syngenesious stamens, indefinite ovula, alternate leaves and 

 oval pollen. 



Anomalies. Clintonia has a triangular 1-celled ovarium, with 2 parietal 

 placentae. Some have 5 petals. One species of Lobelia is dioecious. 



Essential Character. — Calyx superior, 5-lobed, or entire. Corolla monopetalous, ir- 

 regular, inserted in the calyx, 5-lobcd, or deeply 5-cleft. Stamens 5, inserted into the calyx al- 

 ter nately with the lobes of the corolla; anthers cohering; pollen oval. Ovarium inferior, 

 with from 1 to 3 cells ; ovula very numerous, attached either to the axis or the lining; style 

 simple ; stigma surrounded by a cup-like fringe. Fruit capsular, 1- or more-celled, many- 

 seeded, dehiscing at the apex. Seeds attached either to the lining or the axis of the pericar- 

 pium ; embryo straight, in the axis of fleshy albumen ; radicle pointing to the hilum. — Herba- 

 ceous plants or skrubs. Leaves alternate, without stipula;. Flowers axillary or terminal. 



Affinities. Yet more nearly related to Composite even than Campanula- 

 cere, especially in their cohering anthers and in the irregularity of their corolla, 

 which consists in its being split, so that the segments cohere towards one side 

 just like the 5 segments that make up the ligulate floret of a Composita. The 

 stigma is surrounded by hairs, which are properly analogous to the indusium of 

 Goodenovia:, to which order Lobehaceaj approach closely. Of course they par- 

 ticipate in any and all the affinities of Campanulaceae. M. Alphonse Decan- 

 dolle criticises, with much justice, the character assigned to Lobeliacere in my 

 Synopsis of the British Flora , particularly in regard to the cup or fringe as- 

 signed to their stigma : this was a misprint for cup-like. He is also, perhaps, 

 right in considering Jasione more properly a Campanulaceous than a Lobelia- 

 ceous plant. The genus, however, seems to me to stand upon the limit be- 

 tween the two orders. 



Geography. Unlike Campanulacea?, these seem to prefer countries within 

 or upon the border of the tropics to such as have a colder character. We find 

 them abounding in the West Indies, Brazil, the Cape of Good Hope, and the 

 Sandwich Islands ; they are not uncommon in Chile, and New Holland. 



Properties. All dangerous or suspicious, in consequence of the excessive 

 acridity of their milk. Lobelia tupa yields a dangerous poison in Chile. The 



