POLYOALACE^. 



GENEEA. 



I. P0LYGALEJ5. 



T. Polygala T. — Flowers irregular liermaphrodite ; receptacle 

 convex. Sepals 5, usually petaloid, more or less unequal ; the 2 lateral 

 slightly {Salonionia^ Badiera)^ or much larger than the others, wing- 

 shaped ; in prsefloration very much imbricate, deciduous or persisting 

 round the £i-uit. Petals 5, in more or less gamopetalous corolla, open 

 at back, connate among themselves and with the stamens, imbricate ; 

 the anterior (keel) usvially much larger, concave-galeate or eymbiibrm, 

 2, 3-lobed at apex, sometimes dorsally or at apex cristate, more or 

 less lobed or fimbriate, accrescent, in prtefloration interior ; the 2 

 posterior minute, tongue-shaped or squamiform, often 2-lobate, some- 

 times connate with lateral, smaller or subnil (often 0). Stamens 

 usually 8, more rarely 6, or 5, 4 {Salo)iionia Epirliizantlies\ 2-seriate 

 (■4 alternipetalous) ; filaments 1-adelphous at base, connate in sheath, 

 open at back, afterwards in lateral series equal 2-adelphous, phalanges 

 finally at apex free ; anthers incompletely or completely 2-locular, 

 at base and apex sometimes ciliate or piliferous, dehiscing inwardly 

 at apex by a short cleft or opening of varied form, simple or more 

 or less 2-plicate. Germen free, suiTounded at base by disk, thin or 

 subnil, sometimes more or less stipitate, 2-locular ; cells one 

 anterior ; one posterior ; style at apex variously curved, unequally 

 dilated or geniculate ; lobes stigmatiferous 2-4, heteromorphous or 

 geniculate ; stigmatiferous lobes 2-4 heteromorphous and unequal ; 

 1, 2, posterior, larger; ovule in each cell solitary doscendent ; micro- 

 pylc extrorse superior. Capsule generally surrounded by calyx, some- 

 times naked, the perianth being caducous {Semeiocardium)^ aucipitous- 

 compressed suborbiculate, ovate, obovate, emarginate or equally or 

 imcqually {Badlera) 2-dymous ; at margin sometimes marginate or 

 shortly winged, loculicidal, 1, 2-spermous. Seed descendeut, glabrous 

 or pilose ; exostome usmilly incrassate in variously shaped aril ; 

 albumen copious or membranous or more 's:i\Y(\j {) [Chumcuhuxus) ', 

 embryo more or less thick ; cotyledons foliaceous flat or plano-convex. 



