23G 



Essential Character. — Calyx tubular, persistent, with a definite number of teeth, of 

 divisions, rarely consisting - of two sepals. Corolla tubular, hypogynous, more or less irregu- 

 lar, with 5 lobes. Stamens 4, usually didynamous, arising from the top of the tube of 

 the corolla, seldom 2 ; anthers usually adnate to the dilatedtop of the filament, rarely ver- 

 satile. Ovarium superior, very minute; style 1, filiform. Fruit 2-celled, the cells either 

 separable or inseparable, 1-seeded, membranous. Seed solitary, erect; embryo in the axis of 

 fleshy albumen ; radicle inferior. — Herbaceous plants, or small branched shrubs. Leaves 

 alternate, usually sessile, toothed, or entire, often fascicled. Flowers sessile, spiked, with 

 large bractece. 



Affinities. Distinguished from Verbenacee by the radicle being superior, 

 instead of inferior, and the leaves alternate ; from Myoporinee by the seeds 

 being erect, not pendulous, and the embryo consequently antitropous, not 

 orthotropous. M. Choisy remarks, that " if, on the one hand, we examine 

 Selaginee, Verbenacee, and Myoporinee, and, on the other, Dipsacee, Com- 

 posite, and Calyceree, we shall find a perfect symmetry between their respec- 

 tive characters ; thus Dipsaceae differ from Composite exactly as Selaginee 

 from Verbenacee, by the inverted embryo and the presence of albumen, and 

 Calyceree differ from Composite as Myoporineae from Verbenaceae, by their 

 pendulous ovulum ; therefore, as every one admits Dipsaceae and Calycereae, 

 it seems natural to admit Selaginee and Myoporinee." JWemoire, p. 9. 

 Related to Scrophularinee through Erinus and Manulea, and to Acanthaceae 

 through Eranthemum. The essential character is taken from M. Choisy. 



Geography. All found at the Cape of Good Hope. 



Properties. Unknown. 



Examples. Selago, Polycenia, Agathelpis, Hebenstreitia. 



CCXX. VERBENACEE. The Vervain Tribe. 



Vitices, Juss. Gen. 106. (1789).— Verbenaceje, Juss. in Ann. Mus. 7. 63. (1806); R. Brown 

 Prodr. 510. (1810); Lindl. Synops. 195. (1829.) 



Diagnosis. Monopetalous dicotyledons, with a superior undivided ovarium, 

 a terminal style, irregular unsymmetrical flowers, indehiscent 2- or 4-celled 

 fruit, opposite leaves, and solitary seeds with an inferior radicle. 



Anomalies. 



Essential Character. — Calyx tubular, persistent, inferior. Corolla hypogynous, mono- 

 petalous, tubular, deciduous, generally with an irregular limb. Stamens usually 4, didyna- 

 mous, seldom equal, occasionally 2. Ovarium 2- or 4-ccllcd; ovules erect or pendulous, soli- 

 tary or twin; style 1 ; stigma bind or undivided. Fruit drupaceous, or baccate. Seeds erect 

 or pendulous; albumen none, or in very small quantity; embryo erect.— Trees or shrubs, 

 Fn-.neiimes herbaceous plants. Leaves generally opposite, simple or compound, without stipule. 

 Flowers in opposite corymbs, or spiked alternately ; sometimes in dense heads ; very seldom 

 axillary and solitary. 



Affinities. The difference between these plants and Labiatae consists in 

 the concrete carpelfa of the former, their terminal style, and the usual absence of 

 reservoirs of oil from their leaves, as contrasted with the deeply 4-lobed ovarium 

 and aromatic leaves of the latter. There are, however, particular species of 

 Labiate which approach Verbenaceae very closely, so that Mr. Brown has re- 

 marked (Congo, 451.), that it has been difficult to distinguish the two orders. 

 Verbenaceae differ from Myoporinee and Selagineae in the position of the 

 radicle, which in the former points to the base, and in the two latter to the apex 

 of the fruit. There are also other points of difference, which will be men- 

 tioned under those orders. Acanthacee and Scrophularinee differ in not having 



