344 Plants and their Ways in South Africa 



tube much longer than the calyx, twisted in bud ; limb spread- 

 ing. Stamens free from the petals. Herbs or shrubs, often 

 climbing, with alternate, stipulate leaves thickly encrusted with 

 lime on the under surface. The spikes of pale blue flowers of 

 P. capensis, Th., brighten the roadsides in the East. Often 

 used for hedges. Two species. P. zeylanica, L., has white 

 flowers. It occurs in Natal and Transvaal. 



FIG. 324. 



FIG. 325. Floral diagram 

 J-'lumbago. 



Statice. Corolla nearly polypetalous, bearing the stamens. 

 Calyx coloured. Halophytes or plants growing in salt ground, 

 by the sea. Since they cannot absorb much water without 

 getting too much salt, such plants conserve water by the same 

 means used by plants in dry situations. Statice has dense 

 rosettes of leathery leaves and underground stems. 



