Parnassia.'] SAXIFRAGACEAE. 447 



adnate to the ovary; lobes imbricate or valvate. Disk cup-like 

 or sometimes reduced to intra-staminal glands. Petals usually 5, 

 rarely 0, usually perigyiious, imbricate or valvate. Stamens 

 inserted with the petals, equalling or double their number, rarely 

 indefinite. Carpels usually 2, less often 3-5, united in a usually 

 2-, rarely 3-5-celled ovary, with axile placentas, sometimes 

 1-celled with parietal placentas ; ovules many ; stigmas capitate 

 or lateral subcapitate. Fruit an indehiscent capsule or an 

 indehiscent berry. Seeds usually numerous, albuminous. 



Placentas pendulous from the apex of the 1-celled ovary.; dichotomous 

 herbs with opposite leaves; staminodes none, stamens 5 ..1. Yahlia. 

 Placentas parietal ; scapigerous herbs with radical leaves ; staminodes 

 alternating with the 5 stamens 2. Parnassia. 



1. Yahlia, Thunb. 



Annual or biennial herbs. Leaves opposite, entire ; stipules 0. 

 Flowers small, regular, axillary, usually in pairs, white or 

 yellowish. Calyx-tu\)Q hemispheric, adnate to the ovary; lobes 5, 

 valvate. Petals 5, epigynous, short. Stamens 5, inserted on 

 the margin of the epigynous disk ; filaments subulate. Ovary 

 inferior, 1-celled, with 2 pendulous placentas ; ovules many ; 

 styles 2 ; stigmas capitellate. Fruit a capsule dehiscing at the 

 apex between the styles. Seeds many, minute, ellipsoid, smooth. 



Flowers subsessile, 2- or often 1-flowered in most of the upper axils ; 



filaments with a small hairy scale at their base 1. viscosa. 



Flowers peduncled, 2- or rarely 1-flowered in most of the upper 

 axils; filaments without a scale at their base 2. oldenlandioides. 



1. YAHLIA VISCOSA, Roxb.; F. B. I. ii. 399; W. & A. 364; 

 Wt. Ic. t. 563. 



Deccan and Carnatic, on dry lands. 



'2. YAHLIA OLDENLANDIOIDES, Roxb.; F. B. I. ii. 399; 

 W. & A. 364; Wt, Ic. t. 562. 



Deccan. and Carnatic, on sandy lands, especially near the 

 sea. 



2. Parnassia, Linn. 



Glabrous, perennial, scapigerous herbs, the scapes 1-flowered, 

 usually with a leaflike bract in the middle. Leaves entire, 



