LVIII. BEGONIACE^E. 269 



or nearly so, terminal ; pet. broadly obovate, very abruptly acuminate ; filaments 

 filiform, and, with the seeds, numerous. Native of California. Stems decum- 

 bent, branching, 1 3f in length, with golden yellow flowers 2 3 inches in 

 diameter, the beauty of which is greatly heightened by the innumerable thread- 

 like, yellow stamens. 



2. M. OLIGOSPERMA. Nlltt. 



Very rough with barbed hairs; st. dichotomous; Ivs. ovate-lanceolate, 

 tapering to very short petioles, lobed or incisely dentate ; pet, entire, cuspidate, 

 expanding in sunshine ; sta. 20 or more, shorter than the petals ; caps. 3 5- 

 celled. 7|_ Dry or rocky places, Pike Co., 111., Mead, and Mo. to Tex. Root 

 tuberous. Stems If high, divaricately branched. Leaves 10 15" by 6 8", 

 upper ovate. Flowers solitary, of a deep, golden yellow, 8 10" diam., very 

 fugacious. Capsule cylindric, very small. May Jl. 



ORDER LYII. PASSIFLORACE^E. PASSIONWORTS. 



Plants herbaceous or shrubby, usually climbing. Lvs. alternate, often glandular. Slip, foliaceous. 

 Fls. axillary or terminal, often with a 3-leaved involucre. 



Cal. Sepals 4 5, united below into a tube, the sides and throat of which are lined with a ring of fila- 

 mentous processes, which appear to be metamorphosed petals. 

 Cor. Petals 5, arising from the throat of the calyx outside the crown. 

 Sta. 5, monadelphous, surrounding the stipe of the ovary. 

 Ova. superior, on a long stipe, 1-celled. Styles 3. 

 Fr. stalked, within the calyx, many-seeded. 



Genera 12, species 210, natives of tropical America, but cultivated in many other countries as ornamen- 

 tal flowers. The fruit of the Granadilla (Passiflora multiformis) is eaten in the W. Indies, and highly 

 valued as a dessert, but the root is poisonous. 



PASSIFLORA. [theSiriOT , pas . io , 



Lat. flos passionis; the several parts of the flower were superstitiously compared to the instruments of 



Calyx colored, deeply 5-parted, the throat with a complex, filamen- 

 tous crown ; petals 5, sometimes ; stamens 5, connate with the stipe 

 of the ovary ; anthers large ; stigmas 3, large, clavate, capitate ; fruit 

 a pulpy berry. Climbing herbs or shrubs. 



1. P. CCERULEA. Common Passion-floiver. Shrubby; Ivs. palmately and deeply 

 5-parted; segments linear-oblong, entire, lateral ones often 2-lobed; ^.glandu- 

 lar, with a 3-bracteolate involucre near the flower ; bracteoles entire ; fil, of^ the 

 crown shorter than the corolla. Native of Brazil, where it grows to the thick- 

 ness of a man's arm and the height of 30f. Flowers large and beautiful, blue 

 externally, white and purple within, continuing but one day. Fruit ovoid, yel- 

 low. Admired in cultivation. 



2. P. INCARNATA. Flesh-colored Passion-flower. 



Lvs. deeply 3-lobed, lobes oblong, acute, serrate ; petioles with 2 glands 

 near the summit; bracteoles of 'the involucre 3, obovate, glandular; crown triple. 

 Native from Va. to Flor. Stem climbing 20 30f. Flowers large and showy. 

 Petals white. Two outer rows of filaments long, purple, with a whitish band, 

 the inner row of short rays, flesh-colored. Berry pale yellow, of the size of an 

 apple, eatable. May July. 



3. P. LUTEA. Yellow Passion-flower. 



Lvs. glabrous, cordate, 3-lobed, obtuse ; petioles without glands ; ped. mostly 

 in pairs ; pet. narrower and much longer than the sepals. A slender climber, 

 5 lOf long, in woods and thickets, Ohio and S. States. Leaves yellowish- 

 green, nearly as broad as long. Flowers small, greenish-yellow. Corona in 3 

 rows, the inner row a membranous disk with a fringed border. Fruit dark- 

 purple. May Jl. 



ORDER LVIII. BEGONIACE^E. BEGONIADS. 



Herbaceous plants, or succulent undershrubs, with an acid juice. 



Lvs. alternate, toothed, rarely entire, oblique at the base. Stipules large, scarious. 



Fls. pink-colored, in cymes, monoecious or dioecious. Cal. adherent, colored. [pistillate. 



Sep. in the staminate 2, in the pistillate 3 or 4. Pet. smaller than sepals, 2 in the staminate, 2 or 4 in the 



Sta. (stam. fls.) indefinite, distinct or combined. Anth. collected into a head, 2-celled. 



