III.] SOLANACE^, 249 



Type — Trichodesma i?idicu m. 



A spreading, sCcabrous or hairy annual, with entire, clasp- 

 ing leaves, and pale-blue regular flowers opposite to the 

 bracts. 



The Sweet-scented Heliotrope {Heliotr opium pemvianum), 

 common in gardens, may be taken as a Sub-type, differing 

 from true Borages in its entire ovary and terminal style. 



Observe the characteristic roughness and harshness of the 

 herbage of the Family : the one-sided racemose inflorescence, 

 well shown in Heliotrope. It is made up of a series of 

 distinct axes, each of which terminates in a single flower, v/hile 

 below it forms part of the common axis of the inflorescence. 

 This explains the anomaly of the pedicels being opposite 

 to the bracts, instead of axillary. Observe, also, the fonr- 

 lobed ovary, composed of two carpels, the dorsal sutures 

 of which are infolded so far as to divide each carpel into 

 two one-seeded cells. This structure of the ovary closely 

 resembles that of Labiates, from which Family the usually 

 regular flowers and stamens equal in number to the corolla- 

 lobes distinguish it, besides the usually alternate leaves 

 and round stem of the Borages. To this Family belongs 

 the Forget-me-not {Myosofis), common in wet places in 

 Europe. 



Regarded by some botanists as a distinct Family is the 

 small group Cordiaceag, represented by Cordia Myxa, a low 

 tree with simple, alternate, entire or toothed leaves, small, 

 white, panicled, polygamous flowers, and berried fruits, ll 

 differs from the Borages in having a twice-forked terminal 

 style, baccate fruit, and plaited cotyledons. 



67. Natural Order, SolanacecB. — The Nightshade Family. 



Herbs, shrubs, or sometimes trees, mth alternate leaves 

 and often extra-axillary inflorescence. Flowers nearly or 



