MACLOSKIE LYTHRACE-^E. 599 



Family 76. LYTHRACE^E. Loose-strife Family. 



Mostly herbs, with opposite, exstipulate leaves and perfect, perigynous, 

 4-6-merous flowers. Petals as many as the calyx-lobes, inserted on the 

 calyx, or none. Stamens various, inserted on the calyx. Ovary 2-6-celled 

 (rarely i -celled). Style i. Seeds usually many, without endosperm. 



Species 350, most in tropical America. 



KEY TO THE GENERA. 



A. Flowers 4 6-merous, cyclic, but stamens sometimes inclined to one side. 



b. Fruit not or irregularly dehiscing, subglobose. Pedicel I -flowered. Herbs. 



i. Peplis, p. 599. 

 b2. Fruit a septicidal or septifragal oblong capsule ; with two simple or apically cleft valves. 



Herbs or small shrubs. 2. Ly thrum, p. 599. 



A2. Flowers 6-merous, bilaterally symmetrical. Of the stamens at least the dorsal one is 



always wanting. 



b. Anthers transversely fixed. Stamens 1 1 (rarely 9, 6 or 4). Placenta after dehiscence of 

 capsule, and calyx bent back. Dorsal petals enlarged. Herbs or shrubs, often 

 viscous. 3. Cuphea, p. 600. 



b2. Anthers basifixed. Stamens 1 1 (or 6-7). Fruit indehiscent. Leaves rigid, often pun- 

 gent. 4. Pleurophora, p. 601. 



i. PEPLIS Linn. 



Small, marsh annuals, with entire, obovate or narrow, glabrous leaves, 

 and small, solitary, mostly 6-merous flowers, sessile in the axils. Calyx 

 with 5-6 accessory teeth. Petals sometimes wanting. Filaments short, 

 anthers didymous. Style short ; stigma capitate. Ovary 2-celled. 



Species 3, Eurasia and N. Africa. 



P. PORTULA Linn. 



Leaves creeping, obovate-subrotund, narrowing to a petiole. (Fig. in 

 Eng. & Prantl, iii, 7, p. 8.) 



N. Patagon., by Rio Negro (from Europe). 



2. LYTHRUM Linn. Loose-strife. 



Stems 4-angled, with entire leaves and flowers having a straight, cylin- 

 dric calyx-tube, 8-i2-ribbed, with 4-6 primary teeth and as many inter- 

 mediate secondaries. Petals 4-8. Stamens 8-12. Fruit 2-celled, en- 

 closed in the persisting calyx. 



Species 23, widely distributed. 



