GROUP V. ANGIOSPERM.E ; DICOTYLEDONES. 



561 



Parnassia palustris, Grass of Parnassus, has a whorl of radical leaves, 

 and terminal and lateral peduncles each bearing a single flower and 

 adnate to a bracteole : it is frequently found in damp localities. 



Tribe 3. Ribesiece. Flowers epigynous, incompletely actinomorphic, 

 pentamerous (Fig. 374) : stamens five, opposite to the sepals ; carpels 

 usually two, usually median, sometimes lateral : fruit a berry : leaves 

 scattered : inflorescence racemose. Shrubs. 



Several species of Eibes, the Currant, are cultivated : R. rubrum is the 

 Bed Currant; R. nigrum, the Black Currant; R. Grossularia, the Goose- 

 berry : the spines of the last species are developed from the pulvinus. 



Apparently allied to the Saxifragacese is the order DHOSERACE.E, which 

 includes a number of insectivorous plants. Drosera has a scorpioid in- 

 florescence borne on a scape without bracteoles; the leaves are radical 

 and are fringed with glandular appendages, each of which is traversed by 

 a nbro-vascular bundle (Figs. 33, 34, p. 48). D. rotundifdia and inter- 

 media, the Sun-dews, are found on wet heaths. Aldrovanda vesiculosa, is a 

 floating rootless water-plant of Southern Europe ; its whorled leaves fold 

 up when stimulated ; flowers solitary, axillary. Dioncea muscipula, Venus' 

 Fly-trap, occurs in North America ; it has leaves which likewise fold to- 

 gether when touched ; flowers with 10-20 stamens and basal ovules. 



Fia. 374. Flower of Ribes (mag.) : 



pedicel; fc calyx; c corolla ; st stamens ; FIG. 375. Flower of Sedum acre (x 3). 



. b disc ; g styles. 



Order 2. CRASSULACE^E. Formula A"h, (7n, | An 4- n, (?n, where 

 n = 3 30 : flowers actinomorphic, perigynous or hypogynous, 

 with two (rarely one) whorls of stamens : gynseceum, generally 

 completely apocarpous ; carpels opposite to the petals, with a scale 

 (disc) external to each carpel : ovules numerous, marginal : fruit 

 a follicle : seed with endosperm : inflorescence usually cymose. 

 Plants with entire fleshy leaves, arranged spirally, often in rosettes. 



The genus Sedum has usually pentamerous flowers ; Sedum acre, the 

 Stonecrop, is common on walls and rocks ; S. Rhodiola has dioecious 

 flowers. S. Telephium, the Orpine and others are common. The genus 

 Sempervivum has at least 6-merous flowers ; S. Tectorum, the Houseleek, 

 and other species, as also species of Echeveria, Crassula, etc., are, fre- 

 quently cultivated. 



M.B. O O 



