GERANIAOE^. 39 



descendent or oblique (sometimes ascendent) ; micropyle usually 

 extrorse superior. Capsule 2-3-merous, loculicidal ; valves persis- 

 tent by middle of septa in columella. Seeds in each. 1, 2, desceU' 

 dent or more rarely ascendent ; albumen fleshy ; embryo linear curved 

 or circinate.— Small slii'ubs or herbs diffuse or much ramified ; leaves 

 opposite entire or crenate or dentate exstipulate ; flowers in upper- 

 most axils at or apex of branches compound cymose ; inflorescence 

 sometimes innbclliform or corymbiform. [South siihtroj). or 

 extratrop, America) See 2^' 13. 



V. TROP^OLE^E. 



12. Tropseolum L. — Flowers hermaphi-odite irregular ; receptacle 

 cupular, more or less longproduced at back in a free spur* of variedform, 

 nectariferous within. Sepals 5, inserted at margin (often coloured), 

 imbricate or subvalvate. Petals 5, or fewer by abortion (the anterior 

 wanting or small), unequal (of varied form and colour), imbricate. 

 Stamens 8, 2-seriate ; 4 alternipetalous (posterior deficient) and 4 

 oppositipetalous (anterior deficient) ; filaments free ; anthers 2-locu- 

 lar, laterally or introrsely rimose. Germen free ; cells o (2, anterior 

 alternipetalous ; stylo apiculate or inserted at summit of depressed 

 germen di\'ided at apex into 3 branches equal or uneqiial, stigmati- 

 ferous within. Ovules in cells solitary descending,, micropyle ex- 

 trorse superior. Fruit carpels 3, becoming diy or more or less indu- 

 rate-fleshy or subrlrupaceoiis, separating from short cohmiella, rugose, 

 indehiscent. Embryo of descendent seed exalbumiuous, ; cotyledons 

 thick plano-convex ; radicle short superior. — Yolubile or some- 

 times diffuse herbs ; leaves alternate, peltate or angular palmate, 

 lobed or dissected ; stipules or more rarely minute, setiform or 

 dissected; flowers axillary solitary pedunculate. (South America.) 

 See p. 11. 



» 



VI. BALSAMINE^. 



13. Impatiens L. — Flowers irregular hermaphrodite ; receptacle 

 small comcx. Sepals 5 (anterior 2 small, usually all wanting in 

 adult flowii") ; posterior large, produced at base into a hollow spur, 

 proefloration imbricate. Petals 5 imbricate ; 4 posterior more or 



