456 KuBiACEJ.. 



TRTJMPLT-CREEPER FAMILY. BIGXOXIACE^ Pers. 



Ti-pps. shrubs, climbing viiips and a few exotic herbs mostly with large showy flowers and 



widely distributed in tropics with a few representatives in temperate regions. About iiOO 



species are known grouped in nearly 100 genera. Of the five genera represented in the United 



States .3 are arborescent, oi:e of the southwestern states, another of Florida and the third of 



the Atlantic states. 



Leaves simple in the arborescent representatives in the T'nited States mostly opposite and 

 without stipules. I-loircrs perfect, large, showy and more or less irregular: calyx liypogenous, 

 bilabiate: corolla liyiio^icnoiis. somewhat bilabiate, ."-Idlu'd, inihricated in the bud: stamens 2 

 or 4 inserted on thi' Imsc nf the corolla with intnu'se iJ-crlliMl nntlnTs Idiigitudinally dehiscent; 

 stamiuodia 1 or o : uvai-y 1 or 2-celled, with, simple slender ^-lobed style, stigmatic at the 

 apex : ovules numerous, anatropous and horizontal. Fruit a pod-like 2-valved capsule or berry 

 and seeds withoait albumen. 



THE CATALPAS. Gexus CALTAPA Scop. 



Trees of tonic and diuretic properties with stout terete branchlets large pith and soft 

 durable wood. Seven species are known of w^hich two are natives of eastern United States 

 and the others of eastern China and the West Indies. 



Lcarefi oi)posite or in whorls of three, long-petiolate. involute in the bud, entire or spar- 

 ingly lobed. deciduous. Floinrx in showy terminal compound panicles or corymbs: calyx 

 splitting irregularly into two loin's in opening: corolla thin and membranaceous, oblique with 

 broad campanulate tube and 2-lippe(l .'i-lobed limb, the lobes spreading and with crisi)ed mar- 

 gins; stamens 2, ascending under the anterior lip of the corolla, with glabrous divergent anther- 

 cells and flattened arcuate filaments, staminodia 3. rudimentary, filiform; ovary, 2-celled, with 

 long filiform style, 2-lobed stigma and ovules inserted in several rows on the central placenta. 

 Fruit an elongated nearly terete pod-like capsule loculicidally dehiscent, persisting during the 

 winter: seeds numerous, flat, oblong, with broad lateral fimbriated wings ending in wliir.' 

 hairs : cotyledons broader than long. 



The name is the Cherokee Indian name of one of the American species. 



KEY TO THE SrECIES. 



Flowers about l^^ in. wide, in many-flowered panicles: lower lobe entire.... C. Catalpa. 

 Flowers about 2i/C in. wide, in few-flowered panicles; lower lobe emarginate . . C. speclosa. 



For speeies see pp. JtOIf-JfOl. 



MADDER FAMILY. RUBIACE^ B. Juss. 



Trees, shrubs and a few herbs of about .")0 species grouped in some 3.50 genera. They 

 are chiefly natives of tropical regions and comprise several species which yield products of 

 great economic importance, such as coffee, quinine, ipecac, madder, etc. 



Leaves simple, opposite or verticillate, entire, mostly with stipules and turning black in 

 drying. Floirers regular, perfect : cal.vx 4-r)-toothed or lobed and with tube adnate to the 

 ovary: corolla 4-.5-lobed, stamens as many as the lobes of the corolla, alternate with them and 

 inserted on the tube with filaments free or united at base and introrse 2-celled anthers opening 

 longitudinally : disk epigynous : ovary 1-10-celled with slender style and ovules 1 to many in 

 each cell. Fruit a capsule, drupe or achene : seeds with membranaceous coat and without 

 albumen. 



THE BUTTON-BUSH. Genus CEPHALANTHUS L. 



Shrubs and small trees of about a half dozen species of North and South America and 

 Asia, one only inhabiting the T'nited States. 



Leaves both opposite and verticillate. petiolate. deciduous. Flotrers vellow or white, 

 sessile in the axils of glandular bracts in dense globular pedunculate panicled heads : calyx 

 tube obpyramidal its limb with four or five short lobes : corolla tubular funnel-form with four 

 short lobes ; stamens 4, inserted on the throat of the corolla with very short filaments and 

 oblong-sagitate anthers ; ovary 2-celled with a solitary pendulous ovule in each cell and a long 

 filiform exserted style bearing a capitate stigma. Fruit dry. obpyramidal, 1-2-seeded ; seeds 

 oblong with a. white aril at the apex and cartilaginous albumen. 



The name is from two Greek words indicating that the floirrrs are in heads. 



For species see pp. 408-409. 



