CON VOLVULACEAE — WATER-LEAF 



703 



Hydrophyllaceae. Water-leaf Family 



Herbs, generally hairy ; with alternate leaves ; perfect, regular S-parted 

 flowers; calyx inferior, deeply cleft or divided; corolla gamopetalous ; stamens 

 5, inserted on the corolla ; ovary superior, 2-celled, with 2 parietal placenta : 

 styles 2-cleft or partially united; fruit a capsule, seeds generally reticulated or 

 pitted. 



A small family of 17 genera and about 160 species, chiefly in western 

 North America. Very few plants of the family are ornamental. Some of the 

 western species are occasionally cultivated. Of these the PhaccUa is the most 

 important. A few of the plants are weedy. The Verba Santa (F.riodictyon 

 crassifolitim) is an evergreen shrub with funnel-shaped, white or purple 

 flowers in cymose clusters ; it contains a yellow acrid resin, a crystallin prin- 

 ciple, eriodictyonic acid and criocolin. 



PhaccUa Juss. 



Mostly hirsute, hispid, or scabrous herbs; leaves alternate or the Jower op- 

 posite ; flowers blue or purple, violet, or white ; inflorescence hispid ; calyx 

 naked at the cymes; deeply 5-parted; stamens attached near the base of the 

 corolla; ovary 1-celled ; capsule 1-celled or falsely 2-celled; seeds reticulated. 

 About 80 species, natives of the New World. 



Fig. 406. Hairy Phacelia {Phacelia 

 sericea). The Phacelia is common in the 

 Rocky Mountains. The bristly hairs 

 produce mechanical injuries. (Charlotte 

 M. King.) 



