CONVOLVULACE^E 355 



CONVOLVULACE^: 



Example : 



IPOMCEA. A large number of species are grown in 

 gardens for their flowers, some white as the Moon- 

 flower which opens in the evening, some red, most 

 purple or blue. 



These are all twining herbs with alternate, long, 

 petioled, entire or lobed, and for the most part cordate, 

 leaves. 



The flowers are axillary, generally in peduncled, 

 cymose inflorescences. Calyx cup-shaped, five-toothed. 

 Corolla campanulate or funnel-shaped, entire, marked 

 on the outside with five lines of a darker or lighter 

 colour. Stamens five generally of different lengths, 

 attached to the base of the corolla tube. Ovary 

 superior two-celled with one style, and two globose 

 stigmas. Fruit a globose capsule, opening in various 

 ways. The dark areas in the corolla are due to the 

 peculiar way in which it is folded in bud, i.e. inwards 

 along five lines and then twisted, the portions ex- 

 posed to the light while in the bud stage being of a 

 different colour from those inside. This aestivation is 

 termed induplicate-convolute. 



IPOMCEA is a very characteristic genus of this family, 

 and almost any species will do as a type. 



CHARACTERS OF THE CONVOLVULACE^ 



The CONVOLVULACE.E comprise shrubs and herbs, for 

 the most part twiners. The leaves are alternate, ex- 

 stipulate, and usually entire and cordate. The inflores- 

 cence is cymose, the corolla monopetalous, folded and 



