GENERA. 



1. Lythrum L. — Flowers hermaphrodite regular or sometimes 

 irregular ; receptacle straight cylindrical, thin submembranous, ex- 

 ternally longitudinally 8-12-costate, lined with very thin disk, a 

 little thicker at base and apex, often subnil, equal at base, not spurred 

 or gibbous. Sepals 4-6, inserted at top of tube, 3-angular, valvate ; 

 accessory teeth same in number smaller alternating with petals erect 

 or oftener patent. Petals 4-6, alternating with sepals and inserted 

 in the intervals, shortly or scarcely unguiculate ; equal or rarely 

 {Anisotes) unequal; the 2 superior larger; imbricate, corrugate 

 (sometimes 0). Stamens rarely 5, 6 (Anisotes), most frequently 

 double the number of petals, inserted 2-seriately in tube of receptacle ; 

 the oppositipetalous shorter or sometimes sterile imperfect ; filaments 

 erect ; anthers basifixed, enclosed or exserted, introrse, 2-rimose. 

 Germen sessile, free at bottom of receptacular tube ; disk very small 

 (or 0) ; style terminal short or elongate slender, apex stigmatose 

 obtuse or capitate hardly 2-lobed. Ovules in 2 (complete or incom- 

 plete) cells oo , anatropous, 2-co -seriately ascending. Fruit enclosed 

 in receptacular tube, oblong, membranous, 2-locular or, from incom- 

 plete septum, 1-locular, septicidally 2-valvate or opening irregularly ; 

 placentas finally subtree. Seeds co , angular or plano-convex smooth ; 

 cotyledons of exalbuminous embryo thick obcordate, 2-auriculate at 

 base ; radicle short conical inferior. — Herbs or more rarely small 

 shrubs, glabrous or tomentose; branches 4-gonal or subulate; leaves 

 opposite or verticillate, sometimes alternate, oblong or linear entire ; 

 flowers axillary, solitary or oftener in racemes and terminal rarely 

 ramose bracteate glomeruliferous spikes. [All temp, regions.) — 

 See p. 429. 



2. Pleurophora Don. 1 — Flowers nearly of Lythrum; tube of 

 receptacle subcylindrical. Sepals 5-7, equal, valvate; accessory 

 teeth same in number alternate short or spinescent. Petals same in 

 number oblong, unguiculate. Stamens 5-14, more rarely 15-20, 

 inserted at bottom of receptacular tube ; filaments finally exserted ; 



• Edinb. New Phil. Journ. xii. 112.— Endl. Gen. n. 6150.— B. H. Gen. 779, n. 11. 



vol. vi. 29 



