260 PLUMB AQ1NE&. [STATICE. 



Salt marshes, Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridge ; fl. July- Aug. Glabrous, except 

 the scaberulous panicle. Rootstock much branched. Leaves |-1| in., few, 

 obtuse. Scape 4-8 in., rather slender, excessively branched; branches 

 spreading, recurved ; spikelets unilateral, usually fascicled at the ends of 

 the branehlets ; bracts with broad scarious margins, inner ^ longer than the 

 intermediate ; flowers much smaller than in -8. Limo'nium, ^ in., pale lilac. 

 DISTRIB. Atlantic, Mediterr., and Black Seas, E. Asia. The commonest 

 Mediterranean species, I doubt not the Limo'nium reticula'tum of Ray, and if 

 so it is the S. reticula'ta of Linnaeus, founded on a Maltese plant. 



ORDER XLVI. PRIMULA'CE^E. 



Perennial, rarely annual herbs. Leaves radical or cauline, exstipulate. 

 Flowers 2-sexual,, regular. Calyx inferior, superior in Samolus, 5- (rarely 

 4-9-) cleft. Corolla usually hypogynous (0 in Glaux), rotate bell- or 

 funnel-shaped, 5- (rarely 4-9-) cleft. Stamens inserted in the corolla-tube 

 opposite its lobes, with sometimes alternating staminodes (hypogynous in 

 Glaux), filaments usually short ; anthers bursting inwards by slits, rarely 

 by terminal pores. Ovary 1-celled ; style simple, stigma undivided ; 

 ovules many, amphitropous rarely anatropous, placenta free-central. 

 Capsule 1-celled, dehiscing by simple or 2-fid valves or transversely. 

 Seeds sunk in cavities of the placenta, testa thin, hilum usually ventral, 

 albumen fleshy or horny ; embryo terete parallel to the hilum. DISTRIB. 

 N. temp., Arctic and mountain regions, Chili and Fuegia ; genera 21 ; 

 species about 250. AFFINITIES. With Myrsinece, and Plumbaginece. 

 PROPERTIES unimportant. 



TRIBE I. PRIMULE'JE. Ovary superior. Capsule valvular. Hilum 

 ventral. 



Leaves radical. Corolla-lobes incurved or spreading 1. Primula. 



Leaves radical. Corolla-lobes reflexed 1*. Cyclamen. 



Leaves cauline. Calyx 5-partrte. Corolla yellow 2. Lysimachia. 



Leaves cauline. Calyx 5-9-partite. Corolla white 3. Trientalis. 



Leaves cauline. Calyx campanulate, coloured. Corolla 4. Glaux. 



TRIBE II. ANAGAL'IiIDE/E. Ovary superior. Capsule opening trans- 

 versely. Hilum ventral. 



Calyx 4-partite. Filaments glabrous 5. Centunculus. 



Calyx 5-partite. Filaments villous 6. Anagallis. 



TRIBE III. HOTTO'NIE/E. Ovary superior; ovules anatropous. Capsule 

 valvular. Hilum basal 7. Hottonia. 



TRIBE IY. SAMOLE'^E. Ovary inferior ; ovules anatropous. Capsule 

 valvular. Hilum basal 8. Samolus. 



