I()I. PRIMULACEAE 4I9 



FAMILY 191. PRIMULACEAE 



Herbs or undershrubs. Leaves undivided or lobed, without stipules. Flowers 

 solitary or in umbels racemes or panicles, without bracteoles, 3--7-merous, 

 hermaphrodite. Petals usually united below, with .imbricate or contorted 

 aestivation. Fertile stamens as many as the petals and opposite to them. 

 0\ary usually superior, i-celled, with a free central placenta. Ovules several 

 or many, half-inverted. Style simple ; stigma entire. Fruit a capsule. Seeds 

 with ventral hilum ; albumen fleshy ; embryo small, axile. — Genera ir, species 

 45. (Plate 122.) 



1. Ovary inferior or half-inferior. Corolla white, 5-cIeft, regular, imbricate 



in bud, with 5 scales at the throat. Ovules numerous. Flowers in 

 terminal racemes or panicles. Leaves alternate. — Species 2. Used as 



vegetables. [Tribe SAMOLEAE.] Samolus L. 



Ovary superior 2 



2. Corolla irregular, red. Calyx prickly. Ovules 5. Flowers in terminal 



racemes. Leaves alternate, linear, prickly toothed. — Species i. 



North Africa. Used medicinally. [Tribe CORIDEAE.] . Coris L, 



Corolla regular. Calyx not prickly 3 



3. Corolla-lobes bent back, with contorted aestivation, red or white. Ovules 



numerous. Stem tuberous. Leaves radical, stalked, broad. Flowers 

 sohtary, radical. — Species 4. North Africa. Used as ornamental or 

 medicinal plants ; the tubers are poisonous. [Tribe CYCLAMINEAE.] 



Cyclamen L. 

 Corolla-lobes erect or «spreading. Stem not tuberous. 4 



4. Corolla with contorted aestivation. [Tribe LYSIMACHIEAE.J . . 5 

 Corolla with imbricate, not contorted aestivation. [Tribe ANDRO- 



SACEAE.] 9 



5. Corolla smaller than the calyx. Flowers sohtary in the axils of the leaves. 6 

 Corolla larger than the calyx ; petals united below 8 



6. Petals 3, free. Fruit 2-seeded, opening in 3 valves. Leaves opposite. — 



Species i. Naturalized in the Canary Islands. (Under Astemlinum 



Link & Hoffmsg.) Pelletiera St. Hil. 



Petals 4 — 5, united below. Fruit many-seeded 7 



7. Corolla-tube short. Fruit opening by a lid. Leaves alternate, at least the 



upper ones. — Species r. North and East Africa. Centunculus L. 



Corolla-tube long. Fruit opening by 4 — 5 valves. Leaves opposite. — 



Species 2. North and East Africa. . . Asterolinum Link & Hottmsg. 



8. Fruit opening by a lid. Corolla red or blue. Flowers solitary, axillary. — 



Species 20. Some of them yield a fish-poison or medicaments, or 

 serve as ornamental plants. " Pimpernel." . . . Anagallis L. 



Fruit opening by valves. Corolla usually yellow or white. — Species 12. 

 North, South, and East Africa and Madagascar. Some are used as 

 ornamental or medicinal plants. (Including Lnhinia Vent.) 



Lysimachia L. 



