THALAMIFLORi5i: 87 



5. The Fumitory Group. 



The Fumitories are natives of the Mediterranean 

 region. 



The Fumariaceas are herbaceous, more or less 

 succulent, slender plants, with a trailing or climbing 

 habit. These plants are tender, smooth, glaucous 

 plants with alternate, much divided^ leaves, usually 

 climbing. 



There are small, irregular flowers. The stamens 

 are six in number, with the filaments united or dia- 

 delphous, i. e. in two bundles. The calyx is poly- 

 sepalous and inferior, with two sepals, deciduous or 

 falling, or none. There are four petals, of which the 

 outer pair are larger, one or both spurred, the inner 

 pair united at the apex, thus forming a tube. The 

 stamens are six, in two rows, hypogynous, or two, 

 and tripartite, with three branches, the central one 

 being perfect, the two lateral ones half anthers, or 

 one-celled in the Fumitories. The stamens are 

 opposite the outer petals. The style is slender, the 

 stigma lobed with two or more points. 



The ovary is syncarpous. The ovules are borne on 

 two parietal placentae or cushions, or there may be 

 only one basal ovule by suppression. The fruit is a 

 capsule or nut, and indehiscent, or a two-valved 

 pod. 



In the Fumitory the flowers are purple and the 

 fruit is rounded, and a one-seeded nut, indehiscent. 

 In Corydalis the flowers are yellowish- white or pink, 



