DICOTYLEDONES— THALAMIFLOR^ 



291 



rarely alternate, exstipulate, simple, entire, often clotted ; some- 

 times bordered with black glands. Flowers regular. Seimls 4 or 

 5, persistent, unequal, distinct or united at the base, imbricate. 

 Petals equal in number to the sepals, hypogynous, unequal- 

 sided, frequently bordered with black glands ; cestivation twisted. 

 Stamens usually numerous, rarely few, hypogynous, polyadel- 

 phous, or rarely distinct, or monadelphous, sometimes having 

 glands alternating with the bundles of stamens; filaments 

 filiform; anthers 2-celled, with longitudinal dehiscence. Ovzry 

 1-celled, formed of from 3 to 5 carpels, which are partially 

 inflected so as to project into the cavity; or 3 — 5-celled by the 

 miion of the dissepiments in the centre ; styles equal in 

 number to the carpels ; stigmas usually capitate or truncate, 

 rarely 2-lobed. Fruit capsular, usually 3 — ii-celled, sometimes 



Fig. 1062. 



Fig. 1063. 



Fig. 1064. 



Fig. 1062. Diagram of the flower of a species of St. John's Wort (Hyperi- 

 cum). F,g. 1063. Yerticai section of the flower of the same. /^/^. 1064. 



Vertical section of the seed. 



1-celled; jplacentas axile or parietal, dehiscence septicidal. 

 Seeds minute, numerous, exalbuminous ; embryo straight or 

 curved. 



Diagnosis. — Leaves entire, often dotted, exstipulate. Flowers 

 regular. Sepals and petals hypogynous, with a quaternary or 

 quinar}" distribution ; the former with an imbricate aestivation ; 

 the latter unequal- sided, commonly marked with black glands, 

 and having a twisted aestivation. Stamens hypogynous, usually 

 numerous and polyadelphous, rarely few, and then distinct or 

 monadelphous ; anthers 2-celled, opening longitudinally. Styles 

 several. Fruit 1-celled, or 3 — 5-celled. Seeds numerous, ex- 

 albuminous. 



Distribution and Numbers. — The plants are generally dis- 

 tributed over the globe, inhabiting both temperate and hot 

 regions, and almost all varieties of soil. Illustrative Genera : — 

 Hypericum, Linn. : Yismia, Veil. There are about 280 species. 



u 2 



