16. CuscuTA.] 96. CONVOLrULACE.E. 



fimbi'iate. Ovary narrowed into a very short style with 2 lanceolate 

 branches or stigmas. Ovules on a very spongy thick placenta. 

 Unripe fruit very fleshy with black marks or warts, ripe about S" 

 diam. fleshy circumsciss near the base 1— i-seeded. 

 In all districts. ChieHy on Zhi/phun Hiid Acacia. Fl. Oct. -Dec. Fr. Dec. -Jan. 



2. C. chinensis, Lamlc. 



A delicate thread-like pale-yellow tAviner with flowers in dense 

 often very numerous clusters. Sepals nearly free, triangular-ovate, 

 •05--06" long, subobtuse. Corolla-lobes ovate, scales shortly fimbriate. 

 Fruit -15" (rix^e ?). 



On Polygonum, FoHulaca, Gnizofia, etc. Loharda^a, Clarke ! Manbhum, 

 Camp. Herb. ! Fl. July-Nov. 



FAM. 97. SOLANACEiE. 



Herbs, more rarely erect or climbing shrubs, very seldom small 

 trees, without milky juice. Leaves alternate, sometimes in unilateral 

 pairs especially toAvards the inflorescence with the two members of 

 the pair often unequal, simple, rarely pinnate, exstipulate. FloAvers 

 usually m.s. or large, regular, and o-merous (exc. in the gynseceum), 

 more rarely zygomorphic, or 6-7-merous, terminal on main or lateral 

 shoots, solitary and often (conspicuously) extra-axillary or in cyniose 

 often extra-axilUiry inflorescences. Calyx persistent. Corolla sjnn- 

 petalous of various shape, usually plicate in bud or the lobes valvate, 

 rarely imbricate. Stamens on the corolla-tube isomerous with and 

 alternate to the corolla lobes, in zygomorphic flowers often luiequal 

 or some rudimentary ; anthers sometimes dehiscing by apical pores. 

 Hypogynous disc usually evident. Ovary superior usually obliquely 

 2-celled, rarely (Nicandra) .3-5-celled, or 4-celled,* or by abortion of 

 the septum 1-celled. Style simple, stigma 2-lobed or -partite. Ovules 

 very many on prominent peltate placentae (1 or few in a few exotic 

 genera), anatropous or slightly amphitroiDOUs. Fruit baccate <3r 

 capsular, iisually 2-celled, many-seeded. Seeds compressed, discoid 

 or subreniform. Embryo often curved and peripheral in the albumen, 

 more rarely straight. 



The endemic Solauacea? form a sufficiently characteri.stic familj' in our area, but 

 the Tribe Salpigloiatidece, which has zygomorphic tlowers and often only 2-4 fertile 

 .sometimes didynamous stamens as well as strait,'-ht eml)ryo and contains the well- 

 known ,t>-arden plants 5^a/^j(yo*s>/.s-, 5t7//.ra»/^((ji, BroicaUla and Brunfehia, are only 

 separable from the Scropulariacea^ by the corolla being plicate in bud, with the 

 exterior portions valvate. 

 I. Indigenous genera. Flowers regular or nearly so with enual 

 or only slightly unequal stamens. Embryo much curved : — 

 A. Calyx reticulate-veined and greatly enlarged in fruit. 

 Fruit baccate enclosed in the inflated calyx :— 



1. Flowers solitary :— 



Fls. m.s. blue-purple. Ovary unequally .S-.o-celled . 1. Nicaiidra. 

 Fls. axillary', yellowish or wiiite, often small. Ovary 



2-celled 2. Phy talis. 



2. Flowers clustered. Corolla tubular-campanulate . 3. IVifhaiiia. 



* Sometimes many-celle<l in cultivated forms of Lycoperdcum. 

 006 



