rii.l 



POLYGALACEAL, 



165 



12. Natural Orderj Polygalacece. — The Milkwort Family. 



Trees, shrubs, or herbs with alternate, simple leaves. 

 Sepals unequal. Stamens usually eight, often more or less 

 coherent and also adherent to the petals. 



Type — Polygala arvensis. 



A low, procumbent, branching herb, with small entire 

 leaves, and racemose, irregular, inconspicuous flowers. 



Observe the three outer sepals, which are very small; 

 the two innermost, called wiiigs^ much larger, resembling 

 bracts or petals, and enlarging after flowering, so as to 

 enclose the fruit : the cohesion of the filaments and the 

 adhesion of the really distinct petals to their tube : the 

 small bearded crest at the end of the keel-petal : the 

 one-celled anthers: the hooded stigma covering the anthers: 

 the cap-like arilloid covering at the top of the seeds. 



In Salamojiia the sepals are nearly equal, and the 

 stamens fewer. 



Xanthophyllum is an arborescent Indian genus, with five 

 petals, four of which are nearly equal, and eight stamens 

 more or less free, with two-celled anthers. 



