376 



THE POPULAR EDUCATOR. 



inverted, dicotyledonous ; embryo straight, corresponding with 

 the axis of fleshy albumen ; radicle superior. 



The Sclaginacece, so named after the genus Selago, are 

 low shrubs, rarely herbs, having alternate or fasciculated 

 leaves, simple and without stipules j their flowers are com- 

 plete and g-anerally irregular, either disposed in a corymb or 

 a spike ; calyx persistent, tubular, or 

 spathose ; corolla with four or five divi- 

 sions, imbricated in aastivation ; the 

 anthers are unilocular ; the ovary is 

 composed of two uniovulate cells ; 

 ovules pendent, reflexed. Most of the 

 Selaginacece inhabit the Cape of Good 

 Hope. This family does not possess 

 marked properties, nevertheless many 

 species are odorous. The Hebenstreitia 

 dentata, cultivated in our gardens, is 

 a shrub about two feet high, with 

 pinnatifid leaves in the lower, dentated 

 leaves in the upper part of the plant. 

 The flowers have a tubular corolla, one 

 single lip, marked with a roseate purple 

 spot ; the flowers are inodorous in the 

 morning, but strong and disagreeable at 

 mid-day, whilst in the evening they ex- 

 hale a delicious perfume. The Selago 

 spuria has small oblong leaves and 

 light-blue flowers. The stem of the 

 Sclago Gillii is flower - bearing and 

 branched, having its flowers, which are 

 of a pale rose-colour, disposed in the 

 form of a loose spikelet. A repre- 

 sentation of 

 this plant is 

 appended in 

 Fig. 197. 



The Globu- 

 larice form 

 a genus of 

 the natural 

 order Selagi- 

 nace<K. They 

 are shrubs, 

 or under 

 shrubs, or pe- 

 rennial herbs ; 

 their flowers 

 are alternate, 

 simple, entire, 

 devoid of sti- 

 pules ; flowers 

 complete, irre- 

 gular, united 

 into a capitu- 

 lum upon a 

 convex recep- 

 tacle, covered 

 with hair, and 

 surrounde d 

 with an invo- 

 lucrum ; the 

 anthers are 

 first bilocular, 

 and in the 

 young flower 

 become unilo- 

 cular by the 

 confluence of 

 their cells ; 



194. MIMOSA-LEAVED JACARANDA ( JACARANDA MIMOSIFOLIA) . 195. PROBOSCIS-LIKE MARTYNIA. (MAETYWIA 



PROBOSCIDEA). 196. SOFT ACANTHUS (ACANTHUS MOLLIS). 



ovary unilocular, uniovulate, pendent, reflexed ; the caryopsis 

 is enveloped by the calyx, sharply pointed with the persistent 

 base of the style. 



The Globularice are inhabitants of Southern Europe. The 

 bitter leaves of certain species are employed in medicine. The 

 Qlobularia Alypum (Fig. 198) was formerly denominated Frutex 

 ierribilis, in consequence of the belief that it was violently 

 drastic. Its leaves are the " wild senna " of Germany, and are 

 frequently used to adulterate the genuine senna. 



SECTION LIII. UTKICULAltljE. 



Characteristics : Calyx free ; coroiia hypogynous, monopeta* 

 lous, irregular ; stamens two, inserted upon the tube of the 

 corolla; fruit capsular; placenta parietal, free; seeds numerous, 

 exalbuminous ; radicle straight ; all aquatic herbs. 



The Utricularice derive their name from their principal genus 

 Utricularia, which is so called from the 

 presence of abundant aerial vesicles dis- 

 tributed over the surface of their sub- 

 aqueous leaves. These utriculi are 

 rounded in shape and furnished with a 

 kind of movable aperture. Whilst the 

 plant is young these little bladders are 

 filled with mucus a little heavier than 

 water, which, acting as a weight, cause- 

 the plant to descend to the bottom of 

 the water. As the period of flowering 

 arrives, the utriculi secrete a gas which 

 fills them, makes them specifically 

 lighter, and thus, by lessening the spe- 

 cific gravity of the leaves, causes them 

 to rise to the water's surface. No sooner 

 has the period of flowering terminated, 

 than the vesicles begin once more to se- 

 crete the heavy mucous fluid, and the 

 leaves again sinking, the plant arrives at 

 its original situation, and deposits its 

 seeds in the subaqueous mud, there to 

 remain until they germinate and produce 

 young plants. (Fig. 199, 200, 201.) 



This family is distributed over the 

 entire world, although chiefly found 

 in tropical re- 

 gions of the old 

 continents. 



SECT. LIV. 

 PLANTAGI- 

 NACE^E, OB 

 BIBWOKTS. 



Characteris- 

 tics : Calyx 

 free ; corolla 

 hypogynous, 

 monopetalous; 

 stamens in- 

 serted upon 

 the corolla or 

 upon the re- 

 ceptacle alter- 

 nate with the 

 petals ; ovary 

 one or two 

 celled, uni- or 

 multi-ovulate ; 

 fruit one or 

 many seeded; 

 seed dicotyle- 

 donous ; em- 

 bryo straight 

 or but slightly 

 curved in the 

 axis of a fleshy 

 albumen ; ra- 

 dicle inferior. 



The plan- 

 tains are peren- 

 nials, general- 

 ly herbaceous ; 



leaves sometimes radical, sometimes cauline, simple, without 

 stipules ; flowers complete, sometimes moncocious, arranged 

 sometimes in the form of a spike, sometimes solitary, or almost 

 solitary ; calyx monosepalous, persistent, with four divisions, 

 the divisions almost equal with each other ; corolla tubular 

 or urceolate, its limb four partite, regular or almost regular, 

 persistent ; imbricated in aestivation ; stamens four in number. 

 The ovary is composed of a single carpel, but ai?parently two 

 or four-celled ; ovule simple, erect, reflexed. 



