490 



ANGIOSPERMS 



Fig. 440. — A portion of a Tomato 

 plant bearing flowers and fruits, and also 

 a flower enlarged to show the structure 

 of the flower. 



dodcndrons and Heathers. 

 The Traihng Arbutus 

 (Epigaea), which is the 

 favorite spring flower 

 wherever it grows, and the 

 Madrona, one of the most 

 beautiful trees of the 

 Pacific coast, belong to this 

 family. 



Sweet Potato Family 

 (C onvolvulacene). — The 

 plants of this family are 

 chiefly trailing or twining 

 herbs. Their flowers, as 

 those of the Morning Glory 

 illustrate, are often quite 

 showy. They have five 

 stamens, and their calyx 

 and corolla are composed 

 of five parts {Fig. J^8). 

 There is usually one pistil 

 with two or three locules 

 in the ovary. 



The Sweet Potato is of 

 considerable value for food 

 and is quite extensively 

 grown in a number of 

 states, A number of 

 plants of this family are 

 weeds, of which the Morn- 

 ing Glory (Ipomoea), Bind- 

 weeds, and Dodders {Fig. 

 439) are the chief ones. 

 The Morning Glory and 

 Bindweeds twine around 

 cultivated plants, cutting 

 off the light and often 

 breaking them down. The 

 Bindweeds are extremely hard to eradicate because of their 

 spreading roots and rootstocks which propagate the plants 



Fig. 441. — A portion of a Jiinson 

 Weed bearing flowers and fruit. Both 

 sepals and petals are joined most of their 

 length. 



