34 Berberidea A kebia . 



5. AKEBIA. 



A small genus of climbing shrubs with the leaves digitately 

 3- or 5-foliolate. Flowers few, in axillary racemes, violet- 

 coloured, polygamous. Sepals 3. Petals none. Male flowers 

 with 6 free stamens and a rudimentary ovary. Female flowers 

 with 6 or 9 rudimentary stamens. Carpels 3 to 9, stigma pel- 

 tate ; seeds immersed in pulp. About four species, natives of 

 Japan and China. The native name of the Japanese species. 



1. A. quinata. A pretty twining plant with the leaves on 

 very slender petioles, and palmately divided into usually 5 dis- 

 tinct petiolulate oval or oblong emarginate leaflets, the basal 

 pair smallest. Flowers small, purplish brown, very fragrant. 

 A native of Japan, hardy in the south-western counties only. 



6. LARDIZlBALA. 



Climbing shrubs with bi- or tri-ternate leaves and dioecious 

 flowers. Sepals 6, somewhat fleshy. Petals 6, much smaller. 

 Stamens 6, monadelphous. Carpels 3, seeds numerous. Flowers 

 axillary, violet or purple, male racemose, female solitary. 

 There are two Chilian species. Named in honour of a Spanish 

 botanist. 



1. L. biternata. A tall evergreen climber with the dark 

 glossy green leaves twice ternate. Flowers purple, in drooping 

 racemes, appearing in December. This needs the protection 

 of a wall. 



ORDER VIL. NYMPEL2EACEJE. 



Aquatic herbs easily recognised by their large flat cordate 

 or peltate leaves and showy flowers. Sepals 3 to 5. Petals 3 

 to 5, or numerous, sometimes small. Stamens many. Carpels 

 3 or more, in one whorl or series, adnate to a fleshy disk forming 

 a several-celled ovary ; styles equal in number to the carpels ; 

 stigma peltate or decurrent ; ovules many, scattered over the 

 walls of the cells ; ovules orthotropous. Fruit with consoli- 

 dated or free carpels ; seeds numerous ; albumen farinaceous. 

 Fresh-water plants, not numerous in species, but very widely 

 spread. The hardy species are limited to our well-known 

 white and yellow Water-Lilies, with a few others from North 

 America and Siberia. 



