82. PRIMULACEM. [1. Androsace. 



glands, 5-fid. Corolla-tube long- slender, lobes 5 spreading round. 

 Stamens free, filaments dilated at base. Ovary narrowed at apex, 

 style slender with 5 branches stigmatose most of their length. 

 Capsule membranous, circumsciss near the base. 



Flowers white. L. ovate, suddenly narrowed into petiole . . .1, zeylanica. 

 Flowers red. L. ell. taperino^ to the petiole . . ... 2. ro*ea. 



Flowers 1)1 ne. A garden plant ... 3. capensis. 



1. P. zeylanica, L. 



An undershrub with rambling green branches, ovate or oblong- 

 ovate leaves witli the base suddenly narrowed into a short amplexi- 

 caul petiole, and terminal panicled spikes of very pretty long-tubed 

 white flowers 'o-7o" diam., of Avhich the calyx is covered with con- 

 spicuous stalked viscid glands. 



Usually among- rocks. Singljhum ! Ranchi ! Manbhum, Camp. ! Parasnath I 

 S.P. (Raijmahal Hills), K/irzl' ¥]. Sept.-Nov. Fr. Nov.-Dec. 



Leaves usually about 3-4" with the short petiole. Fls. 1" lon^. 



The root is said to excite di.gestion and promote appetite. It is also used in piles, 

 anasarca, diarrhoea and skin diseases (Duff). 



2. P. rosea, L. It is easily distinguished by the colour of the flowers and is often 



cultivated, but though wild in the Bengal Duars it is not so in Behar and 

 Oris.sa. Fl. Feb. and at other times. 



3. P. capensis, Thunh. A well-known beautiful shrub with bright pale blue 



flowers and sub-verticiUate leaves. Native of the Cape of Good Hope. 



FAM. 82. PRIMULACE^E. 



Herbs with radical or if cauline alt., opp. or whorled exstipulate 

 leaves. Flowers regixlar, sometimes dimorphic. Calyx inferior gamo- 

 sepalous, xisually 5-lobed. Corolla hypogynous, rotate, bell- or 

 funnel-shaped iisually o-lobed. Stamens on the corolla-tube, oppo- 

 site its lobes, with sometimes alternating staminodes. Ovary 1- 

 oelled with undivided often capitellate stigma. Ovules many, iisually 

 amphitropous on a free central placenta. Capsule dehiscing by 

 valves or circumsciss, few- or many-seeded. Seeds minute, usually 

 angular, often sunk in the placenta. Albumen fleshy or horny. 

 Embryo transverse. 



A. Corolla-lobes imbricate. Capsule 5-valved . . . . .1. Androsace, 



B. Corolla-lobes contorted : — 



1. Capsule dehiscing by valves. Corolla 5-6-cleft . . .2. Ly»imachia. 



2. Capsule circumsciss :— 



Corolla 5-partite, exceeding the calyx 3. AnagalHt. 



Corolla 4-5-lobed, shorter than the calyx 4. Centunculut. 



1. ANDROSACE, L. 



Low hei'bs with rosulate or imbricate leaves and small white or red 

 flowers in 1-several-fld. scapes. Corolla salver-shaped with very 

 short tube or funnel-shaped, moiith annulate or with folds opposite 

 the lobes. Anthers subsessile, inchided in the tube. Capsule ovoid 

 or globose, 5-valved. Seeds 2, rarely more, angular or subglobose. 



1. A. saxifragaefolia, Bunge. 



A delicate little herb with radical suborbicular cordate svibentire 

 or serrate leaves Z-lh" diam. hairy above. Petiole "TS". Peduncles 



505 



