114 BOTANY. 



Example : Erianthera. rrominent genera of the United States are Dianthera 

 and Dipteracanthus. There are about 105 genera, and 750 species in the 

 entire family, according to Lindlcy. 



Acanthus mollis, Bear's claw (Southern Europe) {pi. {y2,fig. 2); a, portion 

 of the flower, showing the stamens and the two lateral bracts ; b, anther ; c, 

 ])istil ; d, seed vessel ; e. section of the seed. 



Ruellia formosa {pi. (S'l.fiij^. 1) ; «, calyx; 6, pistil. 



Order 84. Verbknace,^:, the A^ervain Family. Calyx tubular, persistent, 

 inferior. Corolla monopetalous, tubular, hypogynous, deciduous, limb usually 

 irregular; aestivation imbricated. Stamens usually four, didynamous, rarely 

 equal, sometimes two. Ovary free, two- to four-celled ; ovules usually 

 four, erect or pendulous, anatropal or amphitropal ; style one, terminal ; 

 stigma bifid or entire. Fruit nucamentaceous or baccate, composed of two 

 or four achajnia united. Seeds one to four ; all)umcn or fleshy ; embryo 

 straight ; radicle either inferior or superior. Trees or shrubs, rarely herbs, 

 with opposite or alternate exstipulate leaves. The order has been divided 

 into three sub-orders: — 1. Myoporinecc, -d^wihcr^ two-celled, seed pendulous, 

 radicle superior ; natives of the southern parts of America and Africa, and 

 of Australia. 2. Verhettecc. anthers tAvo-celled, seed erect, radicle inferior ; 

 natives both of the tropical and temperate regions of America, and found 

 also in Asia and Europe. -5. Selagineau anthers one-celled, seed pendu- 

 lous, radicle superior ; natives chiefly of the Cape of Good Hope, but some 

 are European. There are seventy-five known genera, and upwards of 770 

 species. . Examples : Myoporum, Avicenna. Verbenji, Vitex, Tectona, Selago, 

 (rlobularia. 



Some American representatives of this family arc Verbena, Phryma, and 

 liippia. Tiie fragrant Verbena of horticulturists is the Aloysia citriodora. 

 Tectona grandis furnishes the teak wood of India. 



Vitex agnus castus (Europe) {pL (j'l. fii^. 5, a-i). 



Ordi:r 85. Labiat.e, the Mint Family. Calyx tubular, inferior, regular 

 or bilabitite, persistent. Corolla monopetalous, hypogynous, bilabiate ; 

 Tipper lip entire or bifid, lower three-lobed. Stamens four, didynamous, 

 sometimes two by abortion, inserted into the corolla, and alternate with 

 the lobes of the lower lip ; anthers two-celled, or one-celled by abortion, or 

 by absorption of the septum ; connective sometimes large and distractile. 

 Disk fleshy- Ovary free, deeply four-lobed ; ovules four ; style one, basilar ; 

 stigma bifid, usually acute. Fruit consisting of one to four achaenia, 

 inclosed within the persistent calyx. Seeds erect ; albumen either 0, or in 

 small quantity: embryo erect: cotyledons flat: radicle inferior. Herba 

 or undershrubs, with tetragonal stems, opposite exstipulate leaves, and 

 cymose inflorescence, the flower being often in verticillasters. Linnaeus 

 looked upon the fruit as naked seeds, and hence included many of the 

 plants in the order Gymnospcrmia of his Diilynamous class. They are natives 

 (ihiefly of temperate regions. Lindley mentions 125 genera, including 2,350 

 species. 



Tribe 1. Oeimoidecc. Stamens declined. Ex. : Lavandula, 



114 



