41. NYCTAGINACE;AE-42. PHYTOLACCACEAE. 87. 



2. lappacea Juss. Thornveld, near Weenen. 



7. PSILOTRICHUM Blume. 



africanum Oliv. Coastbelt. 



8. AERVA Forsk. 



lanata Juss. Coastbelt. 



9. ACHYRANTHES Linn 



1. aspera L. A very common weed, all over. 



2. robusta C.H. Wright. Coastbelt. 



3. acuminata E. Meyer. Doubtful. 



10. ACHYROPSIS Hook f. Near Durban. 



1. avicularis Hook f. Near Durban. 



2. leptostachya. Coast scrub 



11. ALTERNANTHERA Forsk. 



sessilis R.Br. Coastbelt weed. 



12. GOMPHRENA Linn, Weed. Common all over. 



globosa Linn. Common all over. 



FAMILY 41— NYCTAGINACEAE. 



Herbs or shrubs. Leaves usually opposite, entire, cxstipulate. 

 Flowers regular. Perianth simple, but often with a calyx-like in- 

 volucre, 3—6 lobed, monophyllous. Stamens 1 — 30. Filaments free 

 or connate at base. Ovary superior, 1 celled. Ovule 1, erect, in- 

 verted. Style 1, lateral. Fruit a nut, enclosed by persistent base 

 of perianth. Seed endospermic. Embryo straight or curved. 3 

 genera 6 species. 



1. vSeed with straight embryo. Spiny scandent shrub. 



3 PISONIA. 

 Seed with curved embryo. Herbs not spiny. Leaves opposite. 2. 



2. Bracts connate like a 5-lobed calyx, large. 1 MIRABILIS. 

 Bracts small, free, often deciduous. 2 BOERHAAVIA. 



1. MIRABILIS L. 



jalapa L. "Four o'clocks" or "Marvel of Peru." Common 

 weed. 



2. BOERHAAVIA Vaill. 



1. bracteata T. Cooke. Tugela. 



2. repens L. Thorn veld, near Weenen. 



3. adscendens Willd. The Bluff, near Durban. 



4. pentandra Burch. Coast and Midlands. 



3. PISONIA L. 



aculeata L. Tugela. Dry valley scrub. 



FAMILY 42— PHYTOLACCACEAE. 



Herbs or shrubs, erect or climbing. Leaves alternate, entire. 

 Stipules small or 0. Flowers in spikes on racemes, bracteolate. 

 Perianth 4 — 5 parted herbaceous or membranous (rarely coloured), 

 persistent in fruit. Stamens 3 — 33, hypogynous. Filaments free 



