NEPENTHA CEAL. 



281 



83. Natural Order, Aristolochiacea. — The Birthwort Family. 



Usually climbing shrubs, or herbs, with an irregular or 

 regular perianth, valvate in bud. Ovary inferior, three- or 

 six-celled. 



Type — Aristolochia indica. 



A smooth twining shrub, with alternate leaves and axillaiy, 

 cymose, very irregular, brown-red and green flowers. 



Observe the one-sided expansion of the limb of the 

 irregular perianth ; in some American species, one or two 

 of which are grown in Indian gardens, the perianth is 

 almost large enough to form a bonnet for a child's head. 

 In other genera of the Family the perianth is regular. It 

 is valvate in aestivation. Observe, also, the six stamens 

 cohering around the stigma, forming a round head at the 

 bottom of the tube (which is often inflated) of the perianth. 



84. Natural Order, Nepenthacece. — The Pitcher-plant Family. 



Chmbing shrubs, with alternate pitcher-bearing leaves 

 and racemose dioecious flowers. 



Type —Common Pitcher-plant {Nepenthes distillatorid). 



A somewhat shrubby, climbing plant, leaves alternate 

 with a prolonged midrib supporting a " pitcher," and 

 terminal racemes of greenish or reddish-green dioecious 

 flowers. 



