338 Plants and their Ways in South Africa 



many seeds ; a 4 -parted valvate calyx, 4 petals usually twisted. 

 Fruit usually a capsule. Perennial herbs or shrubs. Flowers 

 adapted to bees or butterflies and moths. Those of Montinia 

 to flies. Phloem internal to xylem. 



Jussieua. — A genus of land or floating plants. Calyx 

 persisting as a crown on the inferior ovary. Sepals 4-5. Petals 

 4.5. Stamens 8-10. Capsule 4-5 -celled. Flowers yellow, 

 white. Seeds small. Herbaceous or shrubby. Leaves 

 alternate. Eastern. 



CEnothera [0. ^/^;m/^,L., Evening Primrose). — Naturalized 

 near Cape Town. The flower has a very long axis tube, ad- 



FlG. 316. — Floral diagram of Epilobium. FlG. 317. — CEnothera biennis, L. 



Section of flower. 



mitting only the long tongues of moths, which fly at night about 

 the spikes of delicate yellow flowers, attracted by the evening 

 scent. After a night of revelry the flower withers and falls, leav- 

 ing the long green ovary, which looks like a flower-stalk. If the 

 flower does not succeed in attracting the moths it stays open for 

 a while the following day. 



Epilobium can be distinguished from CEnothera by the 

 smaller rosy purple blossoms and hairy seeds which, after the 

 capsule has burst, are sent adrift far and wide. In E. hirsutum^ 

 L., the stigmas and stamens ripen together. If put to it the 

 stigmas can roll back and pollinate themselves. In other 



