A SYNOPSIS OF THE PLANT KINGDOM 



73 



Eighty-four genera and about 500 species are wiiiely 

 distributed in the tropics and subtro])ics of both 

 hemispheres. The largest genera are Cyrtandra 

 containing ISO species and Ra'ttlera with al)Out. 100 

 species. The family is related to the Scroi)hulariacea>, 

 ()robanchace;e and Bignoniacea>. The 1 -celled oN'ar^- 

 without winged seeds, and the non-parasitic habit, are 

 distinctive. 



The only economic plants in the family are the 

 ornamental, of which there are many. The flowers 

 throughout the family are uncommonly large and 

 showy. 



Twenty or more genera are in cultivation in N. Amer- 

 ica. Among these are the following, all of greenhouse 

 culture: Agahiiyla, climbers; Episcia; Gesneria; Iso- 

 lonia (Kohleria); Xa?geUa (Smithiantha); Saintpaulia 

 (Usambara Violet; African Violet); Sinningia, includ- 

 ing the Gloxinias; Streptocarpus (Cape Primrose); 

 Trichosporum (or -Eschynanthus), trailing or drooping. 



203. Lentibulariaceae (from the old generic name 

 Lentibularia, said to mean kns, + a small pipe, signifi- 

 cance obscure). Bladderwort Family. Fig. 53. 

 Aquatic or marsh herbs, or epiphytes: leaves alter- 

 nate, rarely whorled, very diverse; sometimes finely 

 dissected, or peltate, or oval, or lanceolate; sometimes 

 of two very distinct kinds; usually with very small 

 scattered bladder-like lobes consisting of a complicated 

 trap-like mechanism for catching tiny swimming organ- 

 isms, or with the whole upper surface of the undivided 

 leaf very glutinous so that insects stick fast to it; cither 

 all basal or all cauline, or both: flowers bisexual, irregu- 

 lar; calyx 2-5-cleft, persistent; corolla 5-lobed, more or 

 less 2-lipped and with a spur or sack at the base; upper 

 lip 2-lobed; lower 3-lobed, often with a palate in the 

 throat; stamens 2, epipetalous; ovary superior, of 2 

 carpels but 1 -celled; placenta free -central; style 1; 

 stigmas 2: fruit a capsule. 



Belonging to this family are 5 genera and about 300 

 species, of which at least 200 belong to Utricularia; 

 they are distributed in aU parts of the globe but are 

 more numerous in the tropics. One fossil species is 

 known. The family is related to the Scrophulariaceae. 

 The irregular corolla, 2 stamens, and 1-celled ovary 

 with central placenta, are important characters. This 

 is a most interesting family of insectivorous plants; 

 with the exception of Pinguicula, they are adapted to 

 catch organisms that swim in the water of ponds, or, 

 in case of the epiphytes, in the rain-water in the 

 cracks and crevices of the host plant. 



Utricularias were formerly used locally as medicine. 

 The secretion of the leaves of Pinguicula contains a 

 pepsin-hke digestive ferment. The Lapps use these 

 leaves to curdle the reindeer milk, hence the common 

 name, butterwort. Danish peasant girls are said to use 

 the juice as a hair-pomade. Another account says, 

 "Pinguicula leaves, whether fresh or dry, are used by 

 the Lapps to thicken fresh still-warm milk, which 

 neither curdles nor gives cream thereafter, but forms a 

 delicious compact tenacious mass, a small i)ortion of 

 which will act similarly on another quantity of fresh 

 milk." 



Two genera are in cultivation in N. America for their 

 peculiar habit and curious orchid-like flowers, which 

 are often very showy: Pinguicula (Butterwort); and 

 Utricularia (liladdcrwort), mostly epiphytic. 



204. GlobulariaceEB (from the genus (Hubidaria, so 

 named because the flowers are borne in heads). Glob- 

 I'LAHiA Family. Fig. 53. Shrubs or herbs: leaves 

 alternate, simple: flowers bisexual, bilabiate, borne in 

 involucratc heads on a chaffy receptacle; calyx mostly 

 5-parted, bilabiate or regular; corolla 5-lobed, gamo- 

 petalous, hypogynous, upper lip sometimes ob.solete; 

 the loliea imbricated; stamens 4, didynamous, epipeta- 

 lous; anthers exserted, by constriction often falsely 4- 

 celled; hypogynous disk usually reduced to a gland on 

 one side; ovary superior, 1-celled; ovule solitary; style 



1 ; stigmas 1-2 : fruit a nutlet inclosed in the persistent 

 calyx. 



The 3 genera and 20 species are confined to the 

 Mediterranean region. Seventeen species belong to the 

 genus Globularia. The family is related to the Scroph- 

 ulariacea?, but is distinguished by the .solitary ovule 

 and 1-celled ovary. Globularias are easily mistaken 

 for Scabiosas, because of the involucrate heads and 

 exserted stamens. 



Some species are locally used as remedies. 



A few species of Globularia are in cultivation in 

 this country; two are hardy, and a third is a green- 

 house plant. 



205. Acanthaceae (from the genus Acanthus, derived 

 from the Greek, a spine; some of the plants are spiny). 

 Acanthus Family. Fig. 54. Herbs, or rarely shrubs 

 or trees: leaves opposite, rarely whorled: flowers bisex- 

 ual, irregular, usually bilabiate; calyx 5-cleft; corolla 5- 

 lobed, gamopetalous, hypogynous, the lobes imbricated; 

 stamens usually 4, didynamous, rarely 2, sometimes a 

 staminodium present, epipetalous; hypogynous disk 

 present, mostly small; ovary superior, 2-celled, each 

 cell 2-4-, rarely many-, ovuled; style 1; stigmas 1-2, 

 one lobe often small or wanting: fruit a capsule; seeds 

 exalbuminous, aided in distribution by pecuUar out- 

 growths of the funiculus. 



AcanthaceiB has 173 genera and about 1,500 species, 

 of tropical distribution. Few species extend into the 

 Mediterranean region and into the United States. Six 

 species are found in the northeastern LInited States. 

 Two hundred species belong to the genus Ruellia, and 

 250 to Justicia. The family is related to the Bignoni- 

 acea;, and to the Scrophulariaceae, as well as to the other 



54. .\canthaCE.E: 1. Ruellia, flower. 2. Ju.sticia, opened fruit. 

 Myoporace.e: 3. Myoporum. a, flower; 6, vertical section ovary. 

 Phrymace.e; 4. Phryma, a, flower; 6, fruiting calyx. Plantagi- 

 NACE.E: 5. Plantago, a, flower; 6, vertical section ovary; c, fruit. 



families of this group. The 2-celIed ovary with 2-4 

 ovules and the queer outgrowths of the funiculus are 

 distinctive. 



Many species are used in the tropics for medicine; 

 for example, Asleracaniha longifolia, a ))urgc and su- 

 dorific; Justicia Gendarussa, astringent, used in India 

 for rheumatism, and the leaves sprinkled in clothing 

 to keep insects away; Justicia pecloralis, used for lung 

 troubles. The young flowers of Blepharis edulis and 

 Asystania gangetica are eaten as vegetables. Ruellia 

 ciiiosa of the United States has recently been sold 

 spuriously as Spigelia (pink root). 



Twenty to 30 genera are in cultivation in N. America, 

 except in a few cases, as ornamental greenhouse plants. 

 Among these are: Acanthus (Bear's Breech), hardy 



