138 



DESCRIPTIVE BOTANY. 



Order XXVI. LYTHRACE^. 



Flowers perfect, symmetrical, perigynous. Calyx inclosing, but 

 not adhering to the ovary. Petals sometimes wanting ; when present, 

 free. Stamens equal to petals in number, or twice as many or more, 

 inserted on the calyx-tube; anthers versatile. Ovary 2 to 6, rarely 1- 

 celled; style 1. Seeds numerous, usually on axile placentae. No al- 

 bumen. Fruit a pod, more or less inclosed by the calyx. Trees or 

 shrubs, branches frequently 4-angled. Leaves mostly opposite, entire, 

 exstipulate. 



No. of genera, 30 ; of species, 250. 



PUNICA, L. Calyx large, broadly tubular, an inch and a half long, 

 thick and leathery, attached to the ovary below; lobes 5-7, thick, 

 triangular, acute, smooth, shining, scarlet, valvate. Petals 5-7, in- 

 serted on the calyx, alternating with its lobes, spreading, imbricated, 

 crumpled, roundish, with a short, broad claw, crimson. Stamens nu- 

 merous, free, inserted on the calyx-tube beneath the petals, crowded, 

 erect. Anthers turned inwards, yellow, opening lengthwise. Ovary 

 thick and leathery, with two tiers of cells, upper tier 5-8 in num- 

 ber; ovules many. Style tapering; stigma simple, head-shaped. 

 Fruit hard, sub-globular, abruptly contracted at the top into a short 

 neck, crowned by the thick calyx, size of an orange, reddish-yellow. 

 Seeds numerous, angular, covered with a pinkish, juicy coating. 



P. granatum, L. (Pomegranate.) Arborescent, 14 to 15 feet high. 

 Bark brownish-gray, furrowed. Branches straight, strong, sub-angular, armed 



near the ends with spines ; young shoots 

 and buds red. Leaves opposite or fas- 

 cicled, short-stalked, and without sti- 

 pules. Flowers large, solitary, or two 

 to three together in the axils of the 

 leaves, near the ends of the branchlets. 

 A beautiful object for planted grounds. 



Varieties. — This is the only species, 

 but as it is grown from seed it sports, 

 consequently varieties have been pro- 

 duced. The two most prominent are : 

 Var. alba, white-flowered. 

 Var. plena, double-flowered. 

 Geography. — The zone of the pome- 

 granate is within the region of no frost, 

 PtTNicA GRANATTTM (Pomegranate). ^nd along its outer fringes in the north 



temperate zone, all around the globe. 

 Etymoloqy. — Punicn, the generic name, is from tbe Latin punims, red, due 

 to the color of tbe fruit. Punicus also means Carthaginian, signifying " deceit- 

 ful" (the Carthaginians bad tbe reputation of being unfaithful), apphed to tbe 

 fruit, which is beautiful in appearance, but not delightful to tbe taste. The 

 name may have been applied to the plant because it was largely planted near 



