252 Cistaceae 



membranous and somewhat sheathing base. Flowers 

 small, perfect, solitary and sessile in the axils of the 

 branches and branchlets. Calyx tubular or prismatic, 

 furrowed, its lobes 4-5, valvate. Petals as many as 

 calyx-lobes, hypogynous, narrowed to a claw which bears 

 an appendage on its inner face. Stamens 4-7 or rarely 

 more, hypogynous ; anther 2-celled, longitudinally de- 

 hiscent. Ovary 1-celled, with 2-4 parietal placentae ; 

 styles 2-4-cleft into filiform divisions. Capsule invested 

 by the persistent calyx. Seeds few, on slender funiculi 

 which are attached to the margin of the valves. 



1. FRANKENIA L. 



Characters of the family. 



1. F. grandiflora Ch. & Sch. Stem much branched from a 

 somewhat woody base, more or less erect, slender, 1-3 dm. high, 

 glabrous or soft-pubescent, very leafy ; leaves obovate to narrowly 

 oblanceolate, revolute, 6-12 mm. long, dull green; calyx linear, 

 6 mm. long, strongly furrowed, the lobes short, acute; petals 

 small, red, the blade 2 mm. long or more, erose at the summit, 

 the appendages of the claw bifid ; stamens 4-7 ; style 3-cleft ; cap- 

 sule shorter than the calyx, linear, angular; seeds numerous. 



Common in saline marshes. Flowering all summer. 



Family 58. CISTACEAE. ROCK-ROSE FAMILY. 



Shrubs or low woody plants with alternate or opposite 

 simple leaves, and solitary, racemose, clustered or panic- 

 ulate, regular, generally perfect flowers. Sepals 3-5> 

 persistent, when 5 the 2 exterior smaller and bract-like, 

 the inner 3 convolute. Petals 5 or 3 or sometimes want- 

 ing, fugacious. Stamens many, hypogynous. Ovary 1, 

 sessile, 1-several-celled ; ovules orthotropous, stalked ; 

 style simple ; stigma entire or 3-lobed. Capsule dehis- 

 cent by valves. Seeds several or numerous ; embryo 

 slender ; endosperm present. 



