296 Plants and their Ways in South Africa 



Herbs with opposite, usually simple leaves, often stipulate. Stem often 

 swollen at the nodes. Carnations belong to this order. 



The order consists of honey-forming plants of two groups, one being 

 polysepalous for short-tongued insects, the other having a gamosepalous 

 calyx in which honey can be reached only by long-tongued butterflies and 

 moths. 



A. Calyx gamosepalous. Ovary raised on a stalk (gyno- 

 phore}. 



FIG. 268. Dianthus caryophyllus. I. Portion of plant (natural size). II. 

 Stamens (magnified). (From Thom6 and Bennett's " Structural and Physio- 

 logical Botany".) 



Silene. Calyx ribbed. Petals on long claws, the limb en- 

 tire or divided. The flower-stalk is continued a node between 

 the perianth and the other parts of the flower. Stamens 10, 

 Styles 3, corresponding to the number of carpels. 



Small herbs often with sticky hairs, which guard the nectar from 



