SECT, ir 



PHANEROGAMIA 



629 



Family 2. Melastomaceae. — An exclusively tropical family, easily recognised by 

 the beautifully shaped and reguhirly veined leaves. Favourite hothouse plants. 



Family 3. Onagraceae.— Flower tetramerous throughout. Androecium obdiplo- 

 steraonous. Ovary inferior (Figs. 651, 652). Mainly in temperate America. 



More Imi-oiitant Genera. — EpiloMum, Willow-herb, with numerous species ; 

 the fruit is a capsule, and the seeds have hairs serving for wind -dispersal. 

 Oenothera. The power of mutating possessed by plants of this genus was recognised 

 by DE Vries and forms the experimental basis of his hypothesis of mutation. 

 Cireaea, Enchanter's Nightshade. Trapa, Water Nut. Many forms are in cul- 

 tivation, for instance the species of Fuchsia, in which the calyx is petaloid. These 

 plants are natives of America. Fruit a berry. 



Family 4. Halorrhagidaceae. — Aquatic plants with small, inconspicuous 

 flowers. Myriophyliiim. Hip- 

 lyuris. 



Family 5. Callitrichaceae. 

 — Aquatic plants with naked 

 unisexual flowers. Stamen 1 ; 

 Carpel 1. Cullitriehe. 



Family 6. Rhizophoraceae 

 {^), — Plants occurring in the 

 Mangrove formation along trop- 

 ical coasts, characterised by 

 vivipary and the possession of 



Fir;. ()51. —Floral diagram of Oenothera 

 (Onagraceae). 



Fig. 652. — Fuchsia globosa. Flowers (iiat. size). 



stilt-roots, or respiratory roots. These adaptations are related to the peculiarities 

 of the situations in which the trees grow. Ehizophora (Fig. 65-3) ; Brugniera ; 

 Ceriops. Kandelia (Fig. 496). 



Family 7. Combretaceae. — Terminalia Chcbula yields myrobalan.s. 



Numerous hook-climbers such as Quisqualis indica, etc. 



Family 8. Myrtaeeae. — Evergreen shrubs or trees ; leaves opposite, 

 leathery, often aromatic. Flowers actinomorphic, tetramerous or 

 pentamerous. Androecium of many stamens, which are often arranged 

 in bundles which have originated by branching. Carpels two or 

 many (Fig. 654) united with the floral axis to form the inferior ovary. 

 Fruit, usually a berry or a capsule. 



Mainly distributed in tropical America and in Australia. 



Important Genera. ^ — The Myrtle {Mijrtus communis), which occurs in the 

 Mediteranean region, is the only Euroi)ean species. Species of Eucalyptus {^^) from 



2 S 1 



