56 FLORA OF MADRAS. {Sal.ouwma. 



reduced to scales or 0. Stipules 0. Flowers irregular, 2-sexual, 

 bracteate racemose capitate panicled or spicate. Sepals 5, un- 

 equal, the 2 inner (iving- sepals) larger, petaloid, deciduous or 

 persistent, imbricate in bud. Petals 3 or 5, unequal, free from 

 each other but usually adherent to the staminal sheath, the 

 lower one usually boat- shaped. Stamens usually 8, monadelphous 

 or rarely distinct ; anthers 1- or 2- celled opening by transverse 

 valves or terminal pores. Ovary free, 1-3-celled ; style simple, 

 generally curved, filiform or variously dilated above ; stigma 

 capitate; ovules 1 or more in each cell, anatropous. Fruit 

 generally a 2-celled 2-seeded loculicidal capsule, or indehiscent 

 and 1-seeded or of 3 indehiscent samaroid carpels. Seeds 

 pendulous, usually carunculate ; testa often hairy ; embryo 

 axile, with or without fleshy albumen. 



Herbs or shrubs ; capsule loculicidal, 2-celled, 2-seeded ; flowers 



irregular : 



Annual herbs. Flowers minute, in long terminal spikes ; stamens 



4-5; sepals nearly equal 1. Salomonia. 



Herbs or shrubs. Flowers fairly large, stalked ; stamens 8 ; 2 sepals 

 larger (wing-sepals) 2. Polygala. 



Large trees ; fruit indehiscent ; 1-seeded ; flowers nearly regular 



3. Xanthophyllum. 



1. Salomonia, Lour. 



Small branched or simple annuals. Flowers minute, in dense 

 terminal spikes. Sepals nearly equal. Petals 3, united at the 

 base with the staminal tube, the inferior one keel-shaped, hooded, 

 not crested. Stamens 4-5, filaments united into a sheath below ; 

 anthers opening by pores. Ovary 2-celled ; 1 pendulous ovule in 

 each cell. Capsule laterally compressed, 2-celled, loculicidal ; 

 margins toothed. Seeds albuminous ; strophiole small or 0. 

 SALOMONIA OBLONGIFOLIA, DC. ; F. B. I. i. 207. 8. obovata, 

 Wt. 111. i. t. 22B. 



A small, slender, simple or much-branched herb with angular 

 stems, small elliptic or ovate-lanceolate leaves and long thin 

 spikes of minute pink flowers, followed by didymous fruit 

 with setose-dentate margins. 



W. Coast, from S. Canara southwards ; W. Ghats, in Mysore 

 at 2,000 to 3,000 ft., not common. 



