GAMOPETAL^ 139 



55. The Figwort Group. 



In the Order Scrophulariaceae are included amongst 

 British plants the Mulleins, Toadflaxes, Snapdragons, 

 Figworts, Musk, Mudwort, Sibthorpia, Foxglove, 

 Speedwells, Bartsias, Eyebrights, Yellowrattles, Red- 

 rattles, Cow-wheats, and Tooth-wort. Amongst 

 exotic types are the Bignonia, Acanthus, Catalpa, 

 Gesneria, Gloxinia, Ruellia, which are frequently grown 

 in hot-houses in this country. 



The group includes about two thousand species 

 and there are some one hundred and eighty genera. 

 They are cosmopolitan in distribution, being found 

 in the Arctic regions as well as in the Tropics, but 

 their principal home is the temperate regions. 



A well-marked character of the group is the two- 

 lipped or personate corolla, whilst other features are 

 the paired stamens, and the many-seeded cells in the 

 capsule. The affinities of the group are with the 

 Broom Rape group and the Deadly Nightshade group. 



The majority of the species are herbaceous. Some 

 are, however, shrubs or undershrubs and a few are 

 trees. The leaves are opposite below, alternate above, 

 or sometimes all opposite, or alternate or whorled. 

 Usually there are no stipules, but they occur in some 

 cases. A few are climbing plants, a minority, as Mud- 

 wort, aquatic. Whilst most are hygrophilous a few 

 exotic types are xerophilous. The group includes 

 numerous hemiparasites as Bartsia, Eye-bright, etc. 



The inflorescence is a raceme or spike, or a cyme. 



