MACLOSKIE I SAXIFRAGACE/E. 457 



4-merous. Calyx-segments ovate, acute, exceeding the petals. Follicles 

 i-2-seeded. 



(Calif., Chili) ; N. Patagon. 



Family 49. SAXIFRAGACE^:. Saxifrage Family. 



Herbs or shrubs, with exstipulate leaves, and regular, mostly perfect, 

 and mostly perigynous or superior flowers, with stamens as many or 

 mostly twice as many as the petals ; and the carpels are usually fewer 

 (mostly 2), connate below, with diverging apex and styles. Fruit a cap- 

 sule or berry. Seeds numerous, with copious endosperm. (Occasionally 

 apetalous.) 



Species 600, chiefly in cold and temperate regions. 



KEY TO THE GENERA. 



A. Herbs or shrubs of varying habit. Leaves mostly alternate, extipulate. Flowers 5-, rarely 



4-merous. Carpels 2, rarely 3-4, partly connate, i-2-celled, usually more or less inferior. 



b. Stamens hypogynous or perigynous or epigynous ; in the last case separate from the style. 



c. Placentae central. Leaves entire or lobed, or palmately parted, sometimes with stipuli- 



form growths. Petals narrow below. Stamens usually 10. 



I. Saxifraga, p. 457. 



c2. Placentae parietal. Floral disk circular, adnate to the ovary. Petals none. Small 



marsh plants. Stamens 8-10 (rarely 4-5). 2. Chrysosplenium, p. 460. 



b2. Stamens 2-3, epigynous, on a disk close to the style. Small cespitose plants, with thick 



linear leaves and terminal flowers. 3. Donatia, p. 460. 



A2. Woody plants with simple, mostly opposite leaves, and 5~4-merous flowers (the stamens 

 twice as many) in corymbs. Ovary more or less inferior, 3-5 -celled. Marginal flowers 

 sterile, with enlarged, showy sepals. Fruit a capsule. Styles 3-5, free. 



4. Hydrangea, p. 460. 

 A$. Woody plants with simple, alternate, often coriaceous and glandular, serrate leaves. 



Stamens as many as the petals. Ovary with many erect seeds. 



b. Ovary superior, 3-celled. Petals contorted. Creeping branched shrub, with short densely- 

 leafy branches and spatulate leaves having trigonal points. 5. Tribeles, p. 461. 

 b2. Ovary inferior, 3-2-celled. Petals long, imbricated. Trees or shrubs with coriaceous 



leaves. 6. Escallonia, p. 461. 



A^. Shrubs with simple, often lobed, alternate leaves ; racemose flowers, and inferior, i -celled 

 ovary, with 2 parietal placentae ; becoming a berry. 7. Ribes, p. 465. 



i. SAXIFRAGA Linn., Saxifrage. 



Chiefly perennial herbs, with 5-merous flowers, stamens 10 (very rarely 

 5). Ovary 2-celled, the apex and styles diverging. Seeds with axile 

 placentation. 



