198. LOGANIACEAE — I99. GENTIANACEAE 429 



' • Corolla salver-, bell-, or wheel-shaped, usually white. Ovules several 

 or many in each ovary-cell. Fruit a berry. Leaves opposite, 3 — 5- 

 nerved — Species no. Tropical and South Africa. Some species 

 yield timber, poisons, and medicaments ; some have poisonous, others 

 edible fruits and' seeds, which are also used for preparing alcohol. (In- 

 cluding Brehmia Harv. and Ignatia L. f.) [Tribe STRYCHNEAE.] 



Stryehnos L. 



FAMILY 199. GENTIANACEAE 



Herbs or undershrubs, rarely shrubs. Leaves undivided, sometimes reduced 

 to scales ; stipules absent or replaced by a transverse ridge or line connecting 

 the leaf -stalks. Flowers regular, rarely {Canscora) somewhat irregular. Petals 

 united below. Stamens as many as the petals, and alternating with them, 

 3 — 8, sometimes one only fertile. Ovary superior, i-celled with 2 or 4 parietal 

 placentas, or 2-celled with axile placentas. Ovules numerous. Style simple 

 with I — 2 stigmas rarely [Eryihraed) 2-cleft. Fruit a capsule, rarely a nut or 

 {Chironia) a berry. Seeds minute, albuminous. — Genera 23, species 250. 

 (Plate 128.) 



1. Corolla with induplicate-valvate aestivation, 5-partite, white or yellow. 



Pollen-grains compressed from one side. Ovary i-celled, with little 

 intruding placentas. Stigma 2-partite. Leaves alternate or all radical, 

 . broad-cordate. [Subfamily MENYANTHOIDEAE.] . • . . . 2 

 Corolla with contorted or imbricate aestivation. Pollen-grains not com- 

 pressed from one side. Leaves opposite or whorled or nearly so. [Sub- 

 family GENTIANOIDEAE.] 3 



2. Stem erect Leaves slightly cordate at the base, ovate, radical. Flowers 



panicled. Fruit opening by 4 valves at the top. — Species i. South 



Africa (Cape Colony). Used medicinally Villarsia Vent. 



Stem floating or creeping. Leaves deeply cordate at the base. Flowers 



. fascicled. Fruit bursting irregularly or remaining closed. — Species 



9. Tropical and South Africa. Some have edible roots or serve as 



ornamental or medicinal plants. .... Limnanthemum Gmel. 



3. Stem and leaves reddish. Leaves reduced to scales. Flowers solitary, 



terminal. Corolla salver-shaped, 5-lobed, yellow or blue. Anthers 

 included. Pollen-grains with a single pore. Ovary, i-celled. Stigma 

 entire. Ovules straight. Seeds with^ a very scanty albumen. — 

 Species 2. West Africa. (Under Vovria Aubi.) [Tribe LEIPHAIM- 



EAE.] Leiphaimos Cham. & Schlechtd. 



Stem and leaves green. Leaves well developed, rarely very small, but 

 then flowers in C5mies. Pollen-grains vwth 3 pores. Ovules in\'erted. 

 Seeds with copious albumen 4 



4. Pollen-grains connected in groups of four, tubercled on the surface. Calyx 



4-toothed, with a winged tube. Corolla funnel-shaped, 4-lobed. Fila- 

 ments inserted on the upper part of the corolla-tube, winged at the base. 



