BOTANY. 121 



with its segments ; pollen often blue. Disk lobed : ovary free, three-celled ; 

 ovules anatropal or amphitropal ; style simple ; stigma trifid. Fruit, a 

 three-celled, three-valved capsule, with septifragal dehiscence. Seeds 

 angular, or oval, or winged, often enveloped in mucus, containing spiral 

 threads, ascending in a single or a double row ; embryo straight, in the axis 

 of a fleshy or horny albumen; cotyledons foliaceous, elliptical, or cordate; 

 radicle inferior, next the hilum. Herbaceous or climbing plants, with 

 opposite or alternate, simple or compound leaves. They inhabit temperate 

 countries chiefly, and they abound in the north-western part of America. 

 There are 17 genera enumerated by Lindley, including 104 species. 

 Examples : Polemonium, Phlox, Cobsea. 



Polemonium coeruleum, Jacob's Ladder, Europe {pi. G'S, ßg. 8); a, the 

 corolla expanded ; b, calyx ; c, pistil ; d, capsule ; e, cross-section of ditto ; 

 f, a seed. 



Order 95. Bignoniace^, the Bignonia Family. Calyx divided or entire, 

 sometimes spathaceous.. Corolla monopetalous, hypogynous, usually 

 irregular, four- or five-lobed. Stamens five and unequal, or four and 

 didynamous, some of them occasionally sterile ; anthers bilocular. Disk 

 annular or glandular. Ovary superior, one- or two-celled, each cell being 

 often spuriously divided ; ovules indefinite ; style one ; stigma bilamellar, or 

 two- to four-cleft, or entire. Fruit, a two-celled (sometimes spuriously four- 

 celled) and two-valved capsule, occasionally succulent. Placentas, parietal, 

 sometimes extending to the centre, and forming a spurious dissepiment, 

 which finally separates, bearing the seeds. Seeds winged or wingless, often 

 flat and compressed, ex albuminous ; embryo straight ; radicle next the 

 hilum. Trees, shrubs, or herbs, with opposite, rarely alternate, exstipulate 

 leaves. They abound generally in tropical regions, but some of them are 

 widely distributed. The order has been divided into four sub-orders : . 



Sub-order 1. Bignoniece, capsule two-valved, two-celled, sometimes 

 spuriously four-celled, with a dissepiment parallel or contrary to the valves, 

 at length free, bearing the seeds, which are transverse, compressed, and 

 winged. 



Sub-order 2. Cyrtandrecß (Didymocarpeae), fruit succulent or capsular, 

 or siliquose and two-valved ; seeds small, ovate, or cylindrical, suspended, 

 apterous, sometimes comose. 



Sub-order 3. Crescentiece, fruit woody and melon-shaped, inclosing 

 large seeds which are immersed in the pulp of the placentas. 



Sub-order 4. PedaliecB, fruit drupaceous, rarely capsular and two- 

 valved, spuriously many-celled ; seeds few, large, and#apterous, pendu- 

 lous, erect, or transverse. These are reckoned separate orders by 

 many. There are upwards of one hundred known genera and 

 about 650 species. Examples : Bignonia, Tecpma, Catalpa, Spathodea, 

 Eccremocarpus, Cyrtandra, Didymocarpus, Crescentia, Pedalium, Sesamum, 

 Martynia. 



The Bignonia Family embraces many species of great beauty. The 

 most conspicuous North American forms are Tecoma (T. radicans, or 

 Trumpet Creeper) and Catalpa (C. bignonioides, Catalpa, or Catawba tree), 



121 



