376 PATAGONIAN EXPEDITIONS I BOTANY. 



Family 34. NYCTAGINACE.E. Family of Marvel-of- 



Peru, Four-o'clock. 



Mostly herbs, with simple entire leaves, and regular, apetalous flowers, 

 having inferior, synsepalous, corolla-like calyx, usually with an involucre 

 of bracts. Stamens i-many, hypogynous. Ovary i -celled, with i basal 

 ovule. Style i, filiform, or none. Fruit an anthocarp, being a nut en- 

 closed by the persisting, ribbed or winged base of the calyx. 



Species 250, abounding in Amer. 



(When the involucre is i-flowered'it and the calyx resemble the double 

 perianth of a sympetalous dichlamyd.) 



i. MIRABILIS Linn. 



Herbs, branching di-trichotomously, with opposite leaves, the lower 

 petiolate, the upper sessile, and calyx-like involucre which encloses i to 

 several flowers in cymes. Perianth-tube long, constricted above the ovary, 

 its limb 5-lobed, plicate and deciduous. Stamens 5-6, unequal, exserted, 

 the filaments united below and incurved. 



A small widely scattered genus, with i species in Himalaya, a few in 

 N. Am., especially Calif., also in Mex., Peru, Chili, Argent. (Fig. in 

 Eng. & Prantl, iii, \b, p. 25.) 



M. TOSC^E (Ltz. sub Oxybaphus). 



Rhizome thick, woody, sending up many stems. Leaves decussate, 

 short-petiolate, subcordate-hastate, crenate, rough, nerves conspicuous 

 underneath ; 35 by 20 mm., smaller above. Flowers axillary from the 

 upper leaves, 3 in the involucre, which has 5 acuminate processes with 

 glandular hairs. Stamens 3. Style long, filiform. 



(Argentina) ; N. Patagon. 



2. BOUGAINVILL^A Commers. 



Shrubs or trees, often thorny and climbing, with alternate leaves and 

 flowers devoid of involucre but inserted on the ribs of 1-3 large colored 

 bracts. Perianth tubular-funnelform, twisted, often greenish below and 

 white or pink above, often persisting in fruit as wings. Stamens 7-8, 

 united below ; anthers didymous, included. Ovary stipitate. Anthocarp 

 fusiform, 5-costate. 



Species 7, in warm parts of S. Amer. 



