140 THE STORY OF PLANT LIFE 



median, anterior petal being keel-like, with a terminal 

 brush. The flower is thus more or less papilionaceous, 

 as in Leguminosse. 



The stamens are eight (or seven, five, four, or 

 three), or in two bundles of five each, and hypo- 

 gynous, united below into an open tube. 



The anthers are one-celled, and open above by 

 pores, there being four anthers to each stamen. 

 There is a single style, with a single stigma, and 

 the former is hooded at the tip. The stigma is 

 oblique. The ovary is two-celled, with one ovule 

 in each loculus as a rule. The fruit is a capsule^ nut, 

 or drupe. 



The structure of the flower resembles that found 

 in the Leguminosse. The flower is a pollen-flower, 

 the tenth stamen not being free. Pollen falls into the 

 hollow in the style, and an insect in touching the 

 stigma bears away pollen from the spoon, which it 

 transfers to the stigma in the next flower. In the 

 absence of insects the stigma bends over and dusts 

 itself with pollen from the hollow of the style. 



The capsule opens above, and the seeds may be 

 dispersed by the wind. 



Some of the members of this group are used in 

 medicine for lung troubles and as sudorifics. The 

 Snake-root of North America is well known. Some 

 of the plants are reputed to possess remedies for 

 snake-bites. Phatany-root is bitter in principle, and 

 has been used to adulterate port-wine. 



