310 



XLVIII. BALSAMINE^. 



Impatient. 

 Vertical section of flower (mag.). 



Impatient. 

 Diagram. 



Touch-me-not. 

 (Impatient Jffuli-iiit-taiigert.) 



Impatient. 

 Pistil (mag.). 



Impatient. 



Ripe [pi-til. 



Impatitnt. 

 Andra-cium (mag.). 



Impatient. 



Vertical section of andrceciuui, and 

 transverse section of an anther (mng.). 



Impatient. 



Dehiscent anthers 



(mag.). 



tmpatltm, 



Seed, entire uiul cut veitK ally 

 (mag.). 



OVARY of 5 many-few-ovuled cells ; stigma sessile. FRUIT a capsule, dehiscing elasti- 

 cally, or an indehiscent drupe. EMBRYO straight, exalbuminous. 



Soft succulent HERBS, usually annual, sometimes suffruticose, erect, full of 

 watery juice ; root fibrous or sometimes tuberous. LEAVES sometimes all radical, 

 long-petioled, cordate or reiiiform ; cauline opposite, alternate or ternately whorled, 

 penninerved, crenate or dentate ; stipules 0, but petioles sometimes furnished at 

 the base with substipitate cupular glands ; peduncles axillary, solitary or aggre- 

 gated, 1-co -flowered, bracteate ; pedicels naked or bracteolate. FLOWERS $ , irre- 

 gular, spurred, often resupiuate from the weakness of the pedicel and weight of the 

 spur, which hence appears posterior. SEPALS 3-5, irregular, coloured, caducous, 

 imbricate in aestivation, the 2 outer lateral, opposite, small or minute, incumbent on 

 the 2 anterior, which are sometimes wanting ; the posterior large, concave, pro- 

 longed at the base into a boss or spur, and enveloping the ovary in bud. COROLLA 

 inserted on the receptacle, of 5 petals alternate with the sepals, all free (Hydrocera), 

 or appearing reduced to 3 by the confluence of the lateral with the 2 posterior 

 petals (Impatiens) ; anterior petal concave, much larger than the others, and 



