136 Nyctaginaceae 



Family 26. NYCTAGINACEAE. FOUR-O'CLOCK 

 FAMILY. 



Ours herbs with fragile stems and tumid joints, and 

 entire petiolate exstipulate mostly opposite leaves. 

 Flowers perfect, with a calyx-like involucre. Petals 

 wanting. Calyx corolla-like, campanulate or salver- 

 shaped, 4-5-lobed or 4-5-toothed. Stamens hypogynous ; 

 filaments filiform ; anthers 2-celled, dehiscent by lateral 

 slits. Ovary superior, enclosed by the tube of the per- 

 sistent calyx, 1-celled, 1-ovuled ; style short or elongated ; 

 stigma capitate. Fruit consisting of the hardened base 

 of the calyx, often costate or winged, enclosing the free 

 achene. 



Calyx funnelform or campanulate; fruit slightly ribbed. 1. MIRABILIS. 



Calyx salver-shaped; fruit winged. 2. ABRONIA. 



1. MIBABILIS L. FOUR-O'CLOCK. 



Perennial herbs, somewhat woody toward the base, with 

 opposite leaves and axillary solitary or paniculate ped- 

 uncles. Involucre calyx-like, 5-cleft or 5-parted, herba- 

 ceous unchanged in fruit, bearing 1-12 flowers. Calyx 

 tubular or narrowly campanulate, with somewhat spread- 

 ing lobes. Stamens 5, equaling the calyx ; filaments 

 united at the base. Fruit globose to ovate-oblong, 

 smooth or slightly ribbed or angled. 



1. M. multiflora pubescens Wats. Stems stout spreading, 

 0.5-1 m. long; herbage roughish pubescent throughout; leaves 

 rather thin, 3-7 cm. long, broadly ovate to ovate-lanceolate, acute 

 or acuminate, sometimes slightly cordate, decurrenton the slender 

 2-4 cm. long petioles; involucre about 20-25 mm. long, 5-cleft to 

 about the middle, the lobes acute; flowers usually 6, broadly 

 funnelform, 3-5 cm. long, rose color to purple, the tube greenish, 

 acutely 5-lobed ; stamens 5, equaling the calyx, shorter than the 

 filiform style; fruit ovate-oblong, 6-8 mm. long, with 10 shallow 

 furrows near the base and with as many intermediate dark lines. 



