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mens; style continuous with the ovarium; stigma capitate, concave. Fruit capsular or 

 succulent, half superior, 1-cclled, 2-valved, with loculicidal dehiscence and 2 opposite lateral 

 placenta*, each consisting- of 2 plates. Seeds very numerous, minute ; embryo erect, in the 

 axis of fleshy albumen ; testa thin, with very close fine oblique veins. — Herbaceous plants or 

 undcr-shrubs. Leaves opposite, rugose, without stipukc. Flowers showy, in racemes, or 

 panicles, rarely solitary. 



Affinities. Nearly allied to Bignoniaccae through Eccremocarpus, from 

 which they differ in their ovarium being 1 -celled and partly inferior, in their 

 apterous seeds, and in habit. Distinguished from Cyrtandraccaj only by their 

 usually inferior 1 -celled ovarium, with simple placentae and albuminous seeds, 

 the testa of which is twisted in a singular manner. From Scrophularinea^ 

 they are known by the same characters, with the exception of the albumin- 

 ous seeds, in which respect they agree with that order. They also approach 

 Orobanchere, Acanthaceae, and Pedalineae, with all which they agree in the 

 position of the pericarpial leaves being anterior and posterior with regard to 

 the axis of inflorescence, and consequently the placenta; right and left. 



Geography. Exclusively natives of the tropical parts of South America 

 and of the West India Islands. 



Properties. Generally beautiful herbaceous plants, bearing flowers, the 

 prevailing colour of which is bright red, and having tuberous roots. The 

 succulent fruits are mucilaginous, sweetish, and eatable. A dye is obtained 

 from the calyxes and fruit of some of them for staining cotton, straw work, 

 and domestic utensils. 



Examples. Gesnera, Gloxinia, Hypocyrta, Alloplectus. 



CCX. OROBANCHEiE. The Broom-Rape Tribe. 



ObObancheje, Juss. Ann. Mus. 12. 445. (180S) ; Richard in Pcrs. Synops. 2. 180. (1807); Dec. 

 and Duby Bot. Gall. 348. (1828); Lindl. Synops. 193. (1829).— Oroban-chinje, Lank 

 Handb. 1. 506. (1829) a sect, of Personata:. 



Diagnosis. Monopetalous, colourless, parasitical dicotyledons, with a 

 superior 1 -celled ovarium, irregular unsymmetrical flowers, and a minute em- 

 bryo inverted in the apex of fleshy albumen. 



Anomalies. 



Essential Character. — Calyx divided, persistent, inferior. Corolla monopetalous, hypo- 

 gynous, irregular, persistent, with an imbricated aestivation. Stamens 4, didynamous. 

 Ovarium superior, 1-celled, seated in a fleshy disk, with 2 or 4 parietal polyspermous pla- 

 centae ; style 1 ; stigma 2-lobed. Fruit capsular, enclosed within the withered corolla, 

 1-celled, 2-valved, each valve bearing 1 or 2 placentae in the middle. Seeds indefinite, very 

 minute ; embryo minute, inverted, at the apex of a fleshy albumen. — Herbaceous leafless 

 plants, growing parasitically upon the roots of other species. Steins covered with brown or 

 colourless scales. 



Affinities. Extremely near Gesnereos in character, although very differ- 

 ent in habit. They are distinguished by their seeds having a minute embryo 

 lying in one end of fleshy albumen, and spherical pollen, while the embryoof 

 Gesnereae is cylindrical and erect, occupying the axis of the albumen, and the 

 pollen elliptical, with a furrow on one side. In Gesnereae the seeds are attached 

 by rather long funiculi, while they are absolutely sessile in Orobancheae. 

 Moreover, there is a tendency in the latter to become pentandrous, or even 

 hexandrous ; but not only no such tendency exists in the former, but the 

 reverse takes place, in the occasional increased sterility of the stamens. There 

 is scarcely any trace of the glandular processes of the disk of Gesnereae in 



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