BIGNONIACEAE 291 



Paulownia thyrsoidea Rehder. 



Tree to 6 m. tall. Branchlets and petioles pilose. Leaves ovate, 

 irregularly and sparsely serrate, usually truncate at the base, somewhat 

 pubescent, 10-15 cm. long. Flowers with the leaves, lavender, 4 cm. 

 long, in spike-like racemose panicles about 30 cm. long; calyx tomentose, 

 about 8 mm. long. 



Hupeh and Fukien. 



Other Chinese species are: 



P. glabrata Rehder. (Shensi.) 



P. recurva Rehder. (W. Hupeh.) 



BIGNONIACEAE 



Leaves usually opposite or whorled, compound or simple, without 

 stipules. Flowers perfect, more or less irregular or bilabiate. Calyx 5 

 cleft, bilabiate or spathe-like; corolla of 5 lobes, gamopetalous, hypogy- 

 nous. Stamens didynamous, or 2. Ovary superior, 2 celled, rarely 1 

 celled; ovules numerous; style 1; stigma 2. Fruit a capsule; seeds 

 usually winged, exalbuminous. 



100 genera and over 500 species. Many of them climbing plants, 

 largely confined to the tropical countries, but a few extending into the 

 temperate regio . 



Gampsis chinemk the trumpet vine, commonly cultivated in gardens, 

 characterized by handsome orange or scarlet flowers, belongs to this 

 family. Catalpa is the only arborescent genus in China. 



CAT A LP A 



Trees. Leaves deciduous, simple, opposite or in whorls of 3's, 

 entire or lobed, pinnately veined, long petiolate, without stipules. 

 Flowers perfect, in terminal panicles or corymbs. Calyx gamosepaloug, 

 splitting into 2 lobes when the flowers open. Corolla gamopetalous, 

 campanulate, 2 lipped, the upper lip, 2 lobed, the lower 3 lobed with 

 undulate margins, and variously marked and spotted on the inner surface. 

 Fertile stamens 2, inserted at the base of the corolla, included. Ovary 

 2 celled, sessile; style filiform, 2 lobed at the apex, somewhat longer 



