LYTHRACEAE. 507 



alternate, entire, sessile or subsessile ; stipules 0. Flowers very 

 small, solitary and axillary or in terminal spikes or racemes, 

 rarely in umbels, usually sessile ; bracteoles 2. Calyx-tube 

 campanulate or subglobose, often scarious and hyaline; lobes 

 3-6 with often subulate appendages between them. Petals as 

 many as calyx-lobes, inserted between them, usually small, some- 

 times absent. Stamens 1-6, on the calyx-tube opposite the lobes. 

 Ovary sessile or substipitate, 2-4-celled ; ovules many; style 

 columnar ; stigma capitate. Fruit a septicidal 2-4-valved cap- 

 sule, the walls minutely horizontally striate ; placenta central, free 

 at the top, one valve of the capsule crowned with the style. Seeds 

 minute, ellipsoid or hemispheric, usually flattened on one side. 



Flowers and leaves verticillate : 



Petals ; stamens fewer than the 5 calyx-lobes ; bracteoles much 



longer than the calyx ; capsule 2-3- valved 1 . occultiflora. 



Petals present ; calyx-lobes and stamens 3 each ; bracteoles much 



shorter than the calyx; capsule 3-valved 2. verticillaris. 



Flowers and leaves opposite, decussate : 



Flowers axillary or in numerous leafy spikes : 

 Calyx appendiculate, the appendices subulate, sometimes 

 absent : 



Petals minute, subulate, calyx-lobes long-acuminate ; capsule 



4- valved; very small almost filiform herbs 3. illecebroides. 



Petals obovate ; calyx-lobes acute ; capsule 3-valved ; herbs 

 with tetragonous stems : 



Calyx-lobes very short ; petals very small ; floral leaves not 

 conspicuously smaller than those of the stem 



4. leptopetala. 

 Calyx-lobes triangular, acute ; petals rather large ; floral 



leaves usually much smaller than the others 5. densiflora. 



Calyx exappendiculate : 



Stamens longer than the calyx, the calyx-lobes triangular, 



acute ; petals .5, fimbriate ; capsule 3-valved 6. fimbriata. 



Stamens shorter than the calyx, the calyx-lobes acuminate ; 



petals 4, obovate, entire ; capsule 2-valved 7. indica. 



Flowers in close terminal spikes, with cordate floral leaves ;. petals 

 4, rose; capsule 4- valved: 



Petals large, broadly obovate ; stamens included ; leaves rounded 



or suborbicular, shortly petioled 8. rotundifolia. 



Petals small, narrowly obovate ; stamens exserted ; leaves 

 orbicular, sessile 9. macrandra. 



