LVIII. LYTHRACEJS (HIERN). 465 



Shrubs or trees. 



Capsule valvular Calyx with oblique mouth. Stamens de- 



clinate 6. Woodfordia. 



Capsule bursting transversely. Calyx straight. Stamens not 

 declinate. , 

 Flowers hexamerous. Capsule scarcely exceeding the cor- 



nuate infundibuliform calyx 7. Pemphts. 



Flowers tetramerous. Capsule much exceeding the non- 



cornuate spreading calyx 8. Lawsonia. 



Ovary more or less adherent to the calyx-tube. Fruit drupaceous 

 or baccate. (Anomalous genera.) 



Stamens very numerous. Flowers 6-7-merous 9. Sonneratia. 



Stamens definite. Flowers 4-5-merous. 



Ovary 1-celled, 1-2-ovuled. Stamens 8 or 10 10. Strkphonema. 



Ovary 3-5-celled ; cells few-ovuled. Stamens 5 11. Olinia. 



1. LYTHRUM, Linn. ; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant, i. 779. 



Calyx tubular with 4 cornua and deltoid lobes ; petals opposite the 

 cornua, corrugated in bud ; stamens 2 or 8; stigma capitate ; ovary- 

 free, sessile, 2-celled, with ovules arranged in 4 longitudinal rows on 

 the thick placenta. Capsule included in the calyx, 2-celled, dehiscing 

 septicidally ; seeds many, small. — Glabrous herbs with entire, opposite, 

 or alternate leaves, and solitary, axillary, subsessile flowers. 



A genus of a few species ; occurs in most parts of the world. 

 Stamens 2. Leaves narrow, alternate. Cornua longer than the 



calyx-lobes \. L. Thymi folia. 



Stamens 8. Leaves round, opposite. Cornua very short . . 2. L. rotundifolium. 



1. L. Thymifolia, Linn. ; DC. Prod. hi. 81. Stem prostrate or pro- 

 cumbent, terete, with angular branches, 2-24 in. long, Leaves alter- 

 nate, linear, the lower ones oblong-lanceolate acute, not more than 

 J-l in. long. Bracts deciduous, linear, shorter than the calyx. Calyx 

 narrowly tubular, 8-veined, the 4 stronger veins proceeding to the 

 cornua; calyx-lobes shorter than the cornua. Petals ligulate or ob- 

 ovate. Stamens 2, opposite, not exceeding the calyx-tube, and inserted 

 at a third above its base. Ovary oblong, equalling the erect style which 

 reaches to the level of the stamens. Capsule oblong, subquadrangular. 



Nile Land. In damp places, Abyssinia, Schimpert 

 Widely distributed. 



2. L. rotundifolium, Hochst. in A. Rich. Fl. Abyss, i. 280. Stem 

 creeping, terete, rubicund, with short, ascending branches, 3 in. long. 

 Leaves opposite, very shortly stalked, round-oval, J— \ in. long, ex- 

 ceeding the calyx. Calyx with wide, 8-veined, scarcely ribbed tube, 

 depresso-deltoid mucronate lobes, and very short cornua ; cylindrical 

 in fruit. Petals long, unguiculate. Stamens 8, exserted ; those oppo- 

 site the calyx-lobes the longer. Ovary narrowly ovoid, gradually 

 narrowing into the short thick style. — According to Hochstetter the 

 flowers are pentamerous. 



Nile Land. By streams and in swamps, Abyssinia, Scldmper ! 



