644 



PRIMULACEiE. 



[Pemgynous Exogens. 



Order CCXLVII. PRIMULACEiE.— PwawoaTs. 



LyOwvUm.**. Gen. 95. (1789).-Priniulace* ( Vent. »**.«* . (1799) ; R. Brown Prodr 427;, 

 A de St Hilaire, Ann. Sc. Nat. n. s. v. 30. xi. 85. ; Endl. Gen. clyi. , Meisner hen. p. AM , ni, 

 trod! ■.i&Tli»l> ! > S Mim. Sac. I'hys. Qtniv, 10. 395.-AnagaUeid8e, Baudo m Ann. Sc. Nat. 

 n. s. xx. 344. (1843). 



Diagnosis.— Cortusal Exogens, with stamens qppotite the petals, a capsular many-seeded 



fruit, 1 style, and a herbaceous stem. 



Annual or perennial herbaceous plants, sometimes almost shrubby. Leaves usually 

 radical ; otherwise both whorled and opposite or alternate. Stipules Flowers either 

 on radical scapes and in umbels, or variously arranged in the axils of the leaves. Calyx 



Fig. CCCCXXX. 



■i cleft seldom 4-cleft, inferior, or half superior, regular, persistent. Corolla monope- 

 teloS i'hypo-ynous, regular ; the limb 5-cleft, seldom 4-cleft ; very rarely 0. Stamens 

 inserted upon the corolla, equal in number to its segments, and opposite them. Ovary 

 1 celled • style 1 ; stigma capitate ; ovules usually amplntropal, rarely anatropal. Capsule 

 onenine with valves; placenta central, distinct. Seeds numerous, peltate ; embryo included 

 Kn fleshy albumen, and lying across the hilum; radicle with no determinate direction. 

 The monopetalous corolla having the stamens opposite its lobes, the composite nature 

 of the ovary whose placenta is free and central, and the position of the embryo across 

 the hilum, afford ample means for recognising the Order of Primworts, unless they are 

 tne nuum, a r comparcd with Ardisiads ; from which it is so impossible to 



distinguish them by any very good character, that Mr. Ben- 

 tham has proposed to unite the two Orders, adding that, m 

 fact, Primula and Myrsine are not more different than Viola 

 and Alsodeia. Nevertheless, all systematic authors distin- 

 guish them, chiefly, as it seems, because no good transition 

 can be found from the herbaceous growth of Primworts to 

 the arborescent or woody structure of Ardisiads. Dunal, 

 one of the later writers on the subject, says that Primworts 

 are, 1, capsular ; 2, have seeds placed on the surface of the 

 placenta ; 3, are herbs ; and 4, are uniformly Q ; while on the 

 other hand Ardisiads are, 1, drupaceous ; 2, have seeds sunk 

 in sockets of the placenta ; 3, are woody ; and 4, are very 

 frequently polygamous ; and these are doubtless the best 

 distinctions that can be found. But a somewhat succulent 

 fruit occurs in Lubinia, and a partially alveolate placenta in 



Fie CCCCXXX— 1 \retia Vitaliana ; 2. a flower cut open ; 3. the pistil ; 4. a vertical section of the 

 latter! showing the free central placenta ; 5. a section of a seed. 



Fig. CCCCXXXI.— Section of half-ripe fruit of Anagalhs arvcnsis. 



Fig. CCCCXXXI. 



