i84 SOUTH AFRICAN FLOWERING PLANTS. 



General Dcserii^ion of the Stapelia Family. 



Herhs — Some climbing, many with milky juice ; 

 many leafless with succulent stems. 



Leaves — Opposite, entire, in some represented by 

 short spines. 



Flowers — Calyx, 5-parted; corolla, 5-lobed, with a 

 corona of various forms ; stamens, 5, adherent to corolla, 

 filaments coherent ; anthers with pollen masses, fixed to 

 corpuscles on the stigmas. 



Fruit — Two follicles. 



Gentianeae. 

 The Chironia Family. 



This order contains 520 species of 49 genera in 

 4 tril^es. In South Africa there are 9 genera only. 

 The genus Gcntia'na embraces a very great number of 

 species with yellow, red, and blue flowers on the Alps 

 of Switzerland; one of which {G. hi' tea) supplies the 

 l)itter root used in medicine. There are several species 

 in England, but Gentians are not known in the southern 

 hemisphere. 



Chiro'nia. — This is a genus, confined to South 

 Africa, having red or purplish flowers. The leaves are 

 opposite. The gamosepalous calyx has five lobes. The 

 corolla is gamosepalous, and also has five lobes con- 

 torted or twisted up in bud ; and as it remains on when 



