GAMOPETAL.E 323 



range, but they are very largely maritime or coastal, 

 some growing on steppes, others on lofty mountains. 

 They are adapted to dry conditions. 



These plants are perennial, herbaceous plants, or 

 occasionally shrubs. The leaves are narrow, alter- 

 nate, forming a rosette and radical, without stipules, 

 fleshy, with water-glands and chalk-glands. 



The inflorescence is racemose or cymose, with 

 bracteoles. The flowers are regular, hermaphrodite, 

 the parts in fives, the odd sepal posterior. The calyx 

 is gamosepalous, inferior, tubular, plaited, five-cleft, 

 persistent, and membranous. 



The corolla is sometimes more or less gamo- 

 petalous, regular, hypogynous, with five petals, with 

 long claws, which are distinct or united, twisted in 

 bud, or the corolla being monopetalous, overlapping. 

 There are five stamens, which are epipetalous, and 

 opposite the petals. The anther-stalks are slender. 

 The anther-cells burst inwards. The ovary is one- 

 celled, superior. There are five styles, or three to 

 four, distinct or united, the stigmas hair-like or 

 linear. The fruit is one-celled, one-seeded, a nut, 

 enclosed in the calyx-tube, membranous, five-valved, 

 or bursting irregularly. The seed is pendulous. 



In this group the handsome Leadwort or Plumbago, 

 often grown in glass-houses in this country, is 

 included. Some of these plants are astringent or 

 acrid. Some — as Thrift — grow equally well inland, 

 and this plant is now a favourite border-plant. 



