72 



A SYNOPSIS OF THE PLANT KINGDOM 



80 species. The family is related to the Scrophulari- 

 aceae; but the peculiar fruit with winged seeds and the 

 absence of endosperm are distinctive. The climbing 

 species may or may not have foliar tendrils. These, 

 when present, terminate in adherent disks. The woody, 

 tropical, climbing Bignoniacete are famed for the 

 peculiar cambium growth which produces secondary 

 thickening of such a nature as to give to the cross- 

 section very odd and very diverse patterns, some of 

 which are almost geometrical in their regularity. The 

 wood in these patterns may be either divided into 

 four wedges at right angles to each other, or four 

 wedges may be superimposed on a smaller circle of 

 wood, or the wedges may be divided toward the 

 periphery into peculiar finger-like portions, or there 

 may be concentric rings of wood. 



Catalpa and Tecoma have been used in medicine 

 but are not officinal. Caraboa (Jacaranda Copaia) 

 contains an aromatic resin of the odor of coumarin. 

 Many are ornamental plants with large, handsome 

 flowers. 



About 20 genera are in cultivation in North America, 

 all as ornamental plants. Among these are: Bignonia 

 (Trumpet Flower, Cross Vine, Quarter Vine), mostly 

 greenhouse climbers; Catalpa, semi-hardy or hardy 

 trees; Chilopsis (Desert Willow, Flowering Willow, 

 Mimbres) cultivated in the South; Crescentia (Cala- 

 bash Tree), cultivated South. Others are Campsis 

 (Trumpet Creeper, T. Vine, T. Honeysuckle) ; Tecoma 

 (Yellow Elder); Pandorea (Wonga-Wonga Vine; Bower 

 Plant of Australia); Tecomaria (Cape Honeysuckle, 

 climbing or erect shrubs or trees, cultivated mostly 

 in the South, only one of which is fully hardy North. 



200. Pedaliaceae (from the genus Pedalium, signify- 

 ing a rudder, in reference to the winged angles of the 

 fruit). PEDALIUM FAMILY. Fig. 52. Herbs, rarely shrubs, 

 covered with peculiar slime-secreting glands: leaves 

 opposite, or alternate above : flowers bisexual, irregular; 

 calyx 5-cleft; corolla 5-lobed, gamopetalous, more or 

 less curved but indistinctly if at all 2-lipped; stamens 

 4, didynamous, often with an extra staminodium, sub- 

 epipetalous; hyppgynous disk inequilateral; ovary su- 

 perior or rarely inferior, 2 1-celled or falsely 1 -celled; 

 style 1 ; stigmas 2-4: fruit a capsule, or a hard indehis- 

 cent structure which is often covered with stiff or 

 hooked spines or wings; seeds 1 to several, attached to 

 central placentae. 



In this family are 14 genera and about 50 species, of 

 tropical and subtropical regions of Africa, Arabia, 

 farther India, Ceylon, Australia, and East Indies. 

 They are mostly strand or xcrophytic plants. The 

 family is most closely related to the Scrophulariaceae, 

 and to the Martyniacese, with which latter family it 

 is often united. The peculiar slime-glands, the queer 

 fruit, and the axial seeds are important characters. 



The seeds of Sesamum indicum yield an oil called 

 benne oil or oil of sesame, which is used as food after 

 the manner of olive oil. The oil is also used as a cos- 

 metic and as a medicine. This plant has been culti- 

 vated for ages in the orient, and is now cultivated in 

 other lands, the oil being used in the manufacture of 

 soap. Harpagophytum procumbens is the famous 

 grapple-plant of South Africa, the fruits of which are 

 difficult to separate from wool and clothing. The fruits 

 of several species of Uncarina are almost as bad. A 

 mucilaginous medicinal drink is made from the leaves 

 of Pedalium Murex in India. These leaves are also 

 used to thicken milk, to which they give a rich appear- 

 ance. 



The genera in cultivation in N. America are: Cera- 

 totheca, ornamental greenhouse plants, and grown in 

 Florida, with indistinctly hooked capsules; Sesamum, 

 grown for oil, medicine, or ornament, outdoor annual, 

 capsule not hooked. 



201. Marty niaceae (from the genus Martynia, in 

 honor of Prof. John Martyn of Cambridge, England). 



MARTYNIA FAMILY. Fig. 53. Annual or perennial, glan- 

 dular-hairy herbs: leaves opposite, or alternate: flowers 

 bisexual, irregular, but not bilabiate; calyx 5-cleft; 

 corolla 5-lobed, gamopetalous, hypogynous; stamens 4, 

 didynamous, rarely 2, the others staminodial, epipetal- 

 ous, alternating with the corolla-lobes; hypogynous disk 

 present, regular; ovary superior, of 2 carpels but 



S3. MARTYNIACE*: 1. Martynia, a, flower; 6, floral diagram; 

 c, fruit. GEBNERIACE^J: 2. Gesneria, flower. 3. Achimencs, floral 

 diagram. LENTIBULARIACE.E: 4. Utricularia, a, part of leaf with 

 bladder; 6, flower; c, flower diagram. GLOBUI.AHIACE.E: 5. Glob- 

 ularia, flower. 6. Cockburnia, vertical section ovary. 



1-celled; placenta; parietal; ovules several; style 1; 

 stigmas 2 : fruit a more or less long, curved, beaked cap- 

 sule, with a fleshy pericarp, becoming falsely 4-celled. 



About 3 genera and 10 species inhabit tropical and 

 subtropical America. One species reaches southern 

 Indiana. The family is closely related to the Pedali- 

 acea;, with which it has generally been united. The 

 horned fruit, 1-celled ovary, parietal placentae and 

 less slimy pubescence, are distinctive characters. 



The turnip-like root of Craniolaria annua, known in 

 South America as escorzonera, is cooked with sugar 

 or eaten as a vegetable. The fruits of Martynia (or 

 Proboscidea) louisiana (M. proboscidea) are sometimes 

 used as pickles. 



One genus is in cultivation in this country, namely 

 Martynia (Unicorn Plant, Proboscis Flower), of which 

 3 or 4 species are grown. The Craniolarias of the trade 

 seem to be Martynias. 



202. Gesneriacese (from the genus Gesneria, named 

 after the early botanist Conrad Gesner of Zurich). 

 GESNERIA FAMILY. Fig. 53. Herbs, rarely shrubs or 

 small trees, sometimes climbing: leaves usuaUy oppo- 

 site or whorled, simple: flowers bisexual, irregular, 

 often bilabiate; calyx 5-parted; corolla 5-lobed, gamo- 

 petalous, hypogynous, often gibbous below, imbricated; 

 stamens rarely 5, usually 4 and didynamous, rarely 2, 

 the sterile usually present as staminodia, epipetalous; 

 hypogynous disk present, diverse; ovary superior or 

 inferior, of 2 carpels but 1-nclled with 2 parietal pla- 

 centae, often falsely 2-4-celled ; ovules numerous; style 1; 

 stigmas 1-2: fruit fleshy with pulpy placentae, or cap- 

 sular, or silique-like with twisted valves. 



