04 ENGLISH BOTANY. 



ORDER XLVL— GENTIANAOE-ffi. 



Herbs, rarely undershrubs, having watery bitter juice, with 

 opposite, rarely verticillate or alternate simple, very rarely alternate 

 and ternate leaves, without stipules. Plowers perfect, regular, very 

 rarely irregular, terminal or axillary, solitary or in cymes or 

 racemes. Calyx persistent, free from the ovary, of 4 or 5, rarely 8 

 sepals, free or combined at the base. Corolla deciduous or per- 

 sistent, regular, monopetalous, hypogynous, salver-shaped or funnel- 

 shaped, rarely cup-shaped, with a 5- or 4-toothed limb, usually 

 twisted in bud. Stamens inserted in the tube or throat of the 

 corolla, alternate with the segments, and equalling them in num- 

 ber ; filaments free, rarely united into a ring at the base ; anthers 

 2-celled. Ovary free, superior, 1-celled or imperfectly 2-celled ; 

 style 1 or 2 — in the former case the stigmatiferous portion usually 

 divided into 2 branches. Ovules numerous. Eruit a capsule, 

 opening into 2 valves, rarely indehiscent. Seeds numerous, with 

 copious albumen. 



Tribe I.-GENTIANEiE. 



Leaves opposite, entire, simple, varying from linear to oval. 

 ^Estivation usually twisted. Testa membranous ; albumen 5 filling 

 the cavity of the testa. 



GENTJS 7.— E R Y T H R -ffi A. Eenealm, 



Calyx 5- (or rarely 4-) partite ; segments not winged. Corolla 

 funnelshaped-salvershaped, persistent and withering ; tube elon- 

 gate, cylindrical ; limb 5- (or rarely 4-) partite. Stamens 5 

 (rarely 4), inserted in the tube of the corolla ; anthers exserted, 

 spirally twisted after the pollen is shed. Style distinct, simple, 

 deciduous ; stigma bifid, rarely entire or with 2 elongated branches. 

 Capsule linear- or ovoid-cylindrical, 1-celled or imperfectly 2-cellcd, 

 septicidally dehiscing by 2 valves, with the placentas parietal and 

 sutural. Seeds numerous, very minute. 



Biennials or annuals, with the stem sub-quadrangular, the 

 leaves opposite and sub-connate at the base. Elowers opening in 



