506 FLORA OF MADRAS. [Lythraceae. 



Family LXYI. LYTHRACEAE. 



Trees, shrubs or herbs. Leaves usually decussate, rarely alter- 

 nate or verticillate, entire ; stipules or minute, generally 

 deciduous. F 'lowers hermaphrodite, regular or sometimes zygo- 

 morphic, solitary or in axillary dichasia, sometimes paniculate ; 

 bracts and bracteoles small, usually deciduous. Calyx-tuhe per- 

 sistent, cup-shaped campanulate or tubular ; lobes 3-6, valvate, 

 often with accessory appendages alternating with them. Petals 

 as many as the calyx-lobes, alternate with them, inserted on the 

 mouth of the tube, sometimes 0,, frequently clawed and wrinkled. 

 Stamens as many as, or twice as many as, the calyx-lobes or very 

 many, inserted on the calyx- tube. Ovary free, in the bottom of 

 the calyx-tube, 1-6-celled ; the ovules on axile placentas ; style 

 long; stigma capitate. Fruit a dehiscent or in dehiscent capsule 

 opening by valves or irregularly, usually many- seeded. Seeds 

 various in shape, sometimes winged ; cotyledons flat or convolute. 



Low, usually aquatic herbs with very small flowers; calyx mem- 

 branous : 



Placenta in the ovary not continuous with the style : 



Fruit dehiscent, opening in valves, the valves minutely horizon- 

 tally striate 1. Rotala. 



Fruit indehiscent, opening irregularly, the walls not striate 



2. Ammannia. 

 Placenta in the ovary continuous with the style, the fruit oper- 



culately or irregularly dehiscing 3. Nesaea. 



Trees or shrubs ; calyx moderately thick : 



Flowers zygomorphic ; calyx-tube tubular, curved ; shrub with 



under surface of leaves black-dotted 4. Woodfordia. 



Flowers actinomorphic ; calyx-tube not curved : 



Capsule circumsciss ; flowers 6-merous, solitary in the leaf-axils ; 



fleshy 5. Pemphis. 



Capsule 8-6-valved ; flowers 6-merous; stamens many; seeds 



winged 6. Lagerstroemia. 



Capsule irregularly dehiscing ; flowers 4-merous ; stamens 8 ; 

 5 pyramidal 7. Lawsonia. 



1. Rotala, Linn. 



Annual or rarely perennial herbs of wet places, stems often 

 tetragonoue. Leaves verticillate, opposite and decussate or rarely 





