THE HELIOTROPE FAMILY. 209 



j)eculiar in being scarious and petaloid, i.e. coloured 

 like a corolla. The petals, unlike those of Phimha'go, 

 are generally quite free or polypetalous, when the 

 stamens are epipetalous in being adherent to the claws 

 of the petals. 



Many species are cultivated on account of their 

 brightly coloured calyx, and though the flowers are 

 small, they are massed together in clusters. 



General DcscrijJtioii of tJw Plumhago Family. 



Hcrhs or half shriobs — Some maritime. 



Leaves — Various, sometimes tufted {Stat' ice). 



FlovjcTS — Calyx, persistent ; corolla, regular and 

 tubular, or of 5 free petals ; stamens, 5, in front of the 

 petals, free from corolla when tubular, but adherent to 

 the free petals {Stat' ice). 



Fruit — A capsule ; indehiscent {Stat'ice). 



Boragineae. 



The Heliotrope Family. 



This order contains 1200 species of about 70 genera 

 in 4 tribes, widely dispersed over the globe. In South 

 Africa there are 14 genera, of which two are cultivated, 

 the Heliotrope {Heliotro'jpium) and Forget-me-not 

 {Myoso'tis). The flowers are nearly always regular, the 

 whorls (excepting the pistil of 2 carpels) being in fives. 



p 



