290. 144. DIPSACEAEr-i4S. GUCURBITACEAE. 



time of flowering. Petals 5 tmited below. Stamens 1—3, epipeta- 

 lous. Ovary inferior, 3 celled (2 empty or rudimentary). Ovule 

 1, pendulous, inverted. Style simple. Seeds exendospermic. 1 

 genus, 1 species. 

 VALERIANA L. 



capensis Thb. Common in vleis all over Natal. 



FAMILY 144— DIPSACEAE. 



Herbs or undershrubs. Leaves opposite, exstipulate. Flowers 

 in heads surrounded by general involucre, and each flower with 

 a separate involucel or epicalyx. Petals united below. Stamens 

 2 — 4 in the tube exserted, separate. Ovary inferior, 1 celled. Ovule 

 1 pendulous, inverted. Style simple. Seed endospermic. 2 genera 

 6 species 



Involucre bracts in several rows. Involucel 4 angled, 8 furrowed 

 with 4—8 toothed crown. CEPHALARIA. 



Involucre bracts in 2 rows. Calyx crowned with 5 bristles. 



SCABIOSA. 



1. CEPHALARIA Schrad 



1. attenuata R. & S. Common all over. 



2. rigida R. & S. 



3. ustulata R. & S. Byrnetown. 

 ustulata var pUosa. Drakensberg. 



4. bachmannii Engl. Alexandra County. 



2. SCABIOSA L. 



1. columbaria L. Common. 



columbaria L. var dissecta Sond. Common all over. 



2. africana L- Van Reenen. 



FAMILY 145— GUCURBITACEAE. 



Herbs with prostrate or climbing very long stems and simple 

 or branched tendrils. Leaves broad. Flowers unisexual or poly« 

 gamous, regular or nearly so. Calyx of 5 united sepals. Petals 

 5, usually united, continuous with top of calyx tube. Stamens 

 4 — 5, 4 of them united in pairs rarely all free or united. Ovary 

 inferior, ovules inverted. Fruit a berry or gourd, sometimes 

 dehiscent, more rarely dry and indehiscent. Seeds exendospermic. 

 I2 genera 31 species. 



1. Stamens 5. One of them sterile. Filaments free. Anthers more 



or less cohering. Seeds winged. 11 GERRARDANTHUS. 

 Stamens united in pairs or all united in a column, hence ap- 

 parently 1, 2 or 3. Rarely all free, but then all fertile, 

 though sometimes one or more celled. 2. 



2. Arither cells straight or slightly flexuous, rarely shortly in- 



flexed at the base or apex. 3. 



Anther cells much curved or twisted U or S-shaped. 7. 



3. J^isc at base of style distinctly developed. 9 MELOTHRIA. 



