SECT. II PHANEROGAMIA 593 



3. S'iliculosac dchiscenics latiseptae : Vesicaria, Auhrietia, Draha, Lunaria 

 (Fig. 582, D). Cochlearia offici'imlis. Scurvy Grass (Fig. 585), is a glabrous, biennial 

 herb which germinates in summer, forming a large rosette of stalked, cordate leaves, 

 persists over winter, and early in the succeeding summer produces a low, copiou.sly 

 branched inflorescence of white flowers. The rosette of radical leaves has dis- 

 appeared by the time the fruit is ripe. 



4. Siliculosae dcMscentcs angustiseptae : Thlasjn, Iberis with somewhat zygo- 

 morphic flowers, Capsella (Fig. 582, C). 



5. Siliciilosae micamentaceae : Isatis tinctoria, Woad. 



Official. — Sinapis albae semika, from Sina2ns alba ; Sinapis nigrae semina, 

 from Brassica nigra. Armoraciae radix, from Cochlearia Armoracia. 



Family 4. Capparidaceae. — Herbs or shrubs with simple or palmately-divided 

 leaves, often stipulate. Flowers as in the Cruciferae, K4, 4, A 2 + 2, G(2) ; they 

 diff"er by the intercalation of a gynophore raising the ovary high above the level of 

 the other parts of the flower, and by the branching of the stamens (or some of 

 them) giving rise to an indefinite number (Fig. 587). Fruit usually a berry, in 

 other cases a capsule or drupe. Seeds without endosperm. Distributed in the 

 tropics and sub-tropics. 



Capparis spinosa is a small shrub occurring on rocky ground in the Medi- 

 terranean region. The leaves are simple with short, recurved, spiny stipules. The 

 actinomorphic flowers are axillary and solitary ; the androeciuni by chorisis consists 

 of numerous members. The fruit is a berry which reaches the size of a plum and 

 contains numerous seeds. Capers are prepared from the young flower buds. 



Family 5. Resedaceae. — Herbs with alternate leaves and zygoniorphic flowers 

 forming a dense raceme. Mainly Mediterranean. The sexual organs are borne on 

 a gynophore or disc. K5-8, C5-8, A cc, G (2-6). The ovary is unilocular and 

 open above, or the carpels are free. Reseda odorata, Mignonette. E. lutea, IL 

 luteola, British. 



Order 13. Cistiflorae 



The plants belonging to this order are characterised by their 

 usually regular, jientamerous flowers ; the stamens are increased in 

 number by chorisis, or when the separation of the branches is incom- 

 plete they form distinct bundles ; the superior ovary is usually 

 trimerous. 



Family 1. Cistaceae. — Perennial herbs or shrubs of the northern hemisphere, 

 with opposite, simple, stipulate leaves. Pentamerous, regular flowers, with 

 numerous stamens and three to five carpels united to form a unilocular or multilocu- 

 lar ovary with a single style. In Britain the Rock Rose {Relianthcmum vulgare) ; 

 the pi'ostrate stem bears small elliptical, sessile leaves and racemes of bright 

 yellow flowers (Figs. 588, 589). ]\Iany species of Cistus are characteristic shrubs 

 of the type of vegetation of the Mediterranean region, known as the Maquis. 



Family 2. Violaceae. — Herbs, shrubs, or trees distributed in all zones usually with 

 dorsiventral flowers with only five stamens. Ovary unilocular with a simple style. 

 There are a number of species of Viola in Britain. The ilowers have the anterior petal 

 prolonged backwards as a spur, into which two nectar- secreting processes of the two 

 anterior stamens project (Figs. 59C, 591). Many kinds of Violet have, in addition 

 to these conspicuous flowers adapted to insect pollination, inconspicuous, cleisto- 



2q 



