104 NYCTAGINACE^E. (FOUR-O'CLOCK FAMILY.) 



DIVISION 3. APETALuE. 



ORDER 48. ARISTOLOCHIACE^E. 



Twining shrubs or low herbs with perfect flowers, the conspicuous lurid calyx valvate 

 in the bud and coherent witli the 6-celled ovary, which forms a many-seeded G-celled, 

 pod or berry in fruit. Stamens 6-12, more or less united with the style; anthers adnate, 

 extrorse. Leaves petioled, mostly heart-shaped and entire. Gray's Manual. 



1. ARXSTOLOCHIA, Tourn. 



Calyx tubular, inflated above the ovary. Stamens 6, the sessile anthers adnate to the 

 short stigma. 



1. A. Californica, Gr. (Pipe-Vine.) A twining shrub with large cordate leaves, 

 flowers curved like a Dutch pipe, greenish, marked with brown or purple. 



2. ASARUM, Tourn. 



Calyx regular, 3-cleft or parted. Stamens 12, with more or less distinct filaments; 

 their tips usually continued beyond the anther into a point. Stemless herbs with creep- 

 ing rootstocks, bearing 2 or 3 scales, then one or two leaves, and terminated by a short 

 pedunclcd-flower close to the ground. 



1. A. caudatum, Lincll. (Wild Ginger.) The smooth broadly cordate leaves 

 usually mottled with white; calyx bell-shaped, the acuminate lobes spreading, brownish 

 purple. Common in forests; the flowers likely to be hidden under leaves. 



ORDER 49. NYCT AGIN ACE M. 



Herbs with mostly opposite and entire leaves, stems swollen at the joints, the tubular 

 calyx corolla-like, its persistent base contracted, inclosing the 1-celled 1-seeded ovary, 

 and becoming a sort of indehiscent pod. 



1. ABRONIA, Juss. 



Calyx salverform, with obcordate lobes. Stamens 5, included, adnate to the tube. 

 Style included; stigma, capitate or clavate. Fruit 5-winged. Embryo by abortion inono- 

 cotyledonous, enfolding mealy albumen. Low herbs, with the opposite thick petioled 

 leaves unequal, and the flowers in involucrate heads. Common on sandy sea beaches. 

 A viscid exudation causes sand to stick to every part of the plants. 



1. A. arenaria, Menz. (Yellow Sand-Verbena. ) Eoot perennial; stems procum- 

 bent; leaves very thick, sub-cordate to reniform, on thick petioles; flowers orange-yel- 

 low, fragrant. 



