III.] GENTIANACEjE. 243 



62. Natural Order, Gentianacece. — The Gentian Family. 



Herbs with opposite entire leaves and of bitter taste. 

 Flowers regular. Ovary usually one-celled, with two 

 parietal placentas. 



Type — Exaciim tetragojium. 



An erect, annual herb, growing in grassy places, with 

 opposite, five-nerved, entire, smooth leaves, and terminal 

 cymes of showy blue flowers. 



N.B. The ovary is normally one-celled in this Family, with 

 two parietal placentas, but in Exacmn the pfecentas project 

 into the cavity and meet, so as to make it almost completely 

 two-celled. 



A cool-climate Family, with several tropical representa- 

 tives. The species are generally herbaceous, and nearly all 

 of them are bitter, some of them extremely so, possessing 

 valuable tonic properties. Our Type species is employed 

 in India as a febrifuge. 



The flowers of the Gentians are very gay, often a brilliant 

 blue, yellow, or red. A {^\n are aquatic ; Villarsia indica, 

 with yellow and white, bearded flowers, is frequent in lakes 

 and tanks. 



R 2 



