628 



BOTANY 



PART II 



complicated b\" outgrowths from the floral axis (coroua and disc). Passiflora, 

 Passion Flowers ; ornamental plants from South America. 



Family Caricaceae. — Carica pcqmya, the Papaw, has in its latex a ferment 

 (papayotin) resemljling jjepsin. Tropical. 



Family Begoniaceae. — Herbs with obliquely cordate leaves. Flowers unisexual. 

 Ovary inferior. JMostlj- tropical. Many species of Begonia are in cultivation. 



Order 22. Thymelaeinae 



Shrubs or trees, with simple, entire leaves, often closely crowded. Flowers 

 perigynous, hermaphrodite, actinomorphic, tetramerous or pentamerous. Corolla 



often wanting. Stamens in one 

 or two whorls. Carpel, one. 

 Ovary with a single ovule. 



Family 1. Thymelaeaceae. 

 — Ovule pendulous. Dapltne 

 Mezereum (Fig. 650) is a poison- 

 ous shrub, possibly native to 

 Britain, which flowers in Febru- 

 ary and March before the leaves 

 appear. The flowers are rose- 

 coloured, scented, tetramerous, 

 and have no corolla. The leaves 

 form a close tuft until the axis 

 elongates. The fruit is a bright 

 red berry. In the Alps and in 

 the Mediterranean region there 

 are several species of Daphne, all 

 of which are poisonous. 



Official. — Daphne Mezer- 

 eum, D. Lanreo/a, and D. 

 Gnidium yield mezerei cortex. 



Family 2. Elaeagnaceae. — 

 Ovule erect. H ippophae. 

 Elaeagnus. The leaves and 

 young twigs are covered with 

 shining peltate hairs. 



Order 23. Myrtiflorae 



Leaves opposite, simple, 

 entire, exstipulate ; flowers 

 hermaphrodite, actino- 

 morphic, tetramerous or pentamerous, hypogynous, or at most 

 perigynous. Ovary septate. Increase in number of the stamens is 

 frequent. 



Family 1. Lythraceae. — Lytltrum salicaria. Purple Loosestrife. Flowers 

 typically hexamerous with two inferior carpels. Heterostyled with three forms of 

 flower (of. p. 501). 



Fig. 650. — Daphne Mezereum {l nat. size), 

 and PoTSoyocs. 



Official 



