GENERA. 



I. ŒNOTHEREyE. 



1. Œnothera L.— Flowers hermaphrodite regular; receptacle 

 tubular or clavate, sometimes long lageniform, enclosing adnatc ger- 

 men and produced above the apex of the latter either very slightly 

 (Godetia, Eulobus, Sphcerostigrna), or to a less or greater length and 

 there cylindrical or obconical and bearing perianth and stamens on 

 upper margin. Sepals 4 (2 lateral), valvate, deciduous. Petals 4, 

 alternate, sessile or very slightly unguiculate, obovate or obcordate ; 

 contorted in prefloration. Stamens 8, 2-seriate, the oppositipetalous 

 oftener shorter ; filaments free ; anthers introrse, 2-rimose, short or 

 oftener elongate. Germ en inferior, crowned with an epigynous disk 

 thin (or 0), sometimes rather thick ; cells 4, oppositipetalous, com- 

 plete or incomplete ; style slender, at apex stigmatose globose or 

 elongate, entire, 4-lobed or 4 -partite ; lobes elongate. Ovules in 

 cells oo , subhorizontal or ascending, 1-2-seriate, anatropous. Fruit 

 erect or sometimes refracted {Eulobus), capsular, coriaceous or sub- 

 ligneous, oblong or clavate, 4- or polygonal, costate or sometimes 

 broadly alate ; wings vertical dorsal ; 1-4-locular, 4-valvate above 

 or for entire length ; valves loculicidal, in the middle internally sep- 

 tiferous and solute from seminiferous columella ; sometimes evalvate. 

 Seeds oo , often ascending, naked or appendiculate to chalaza ; testa 

 sometimes (Blennoderma) mucous; embryo exalbuminous slightly 

 fleshy. — Herbs or rarely undershrubs ; leaves alternate, sessile or 

 petiolate, entire, dentate, lobate or pinnatifid; flowers axillary to 

 leaves or bracts at top of twigs, sessile or pedicellate, solitary or 

 more rarely 2-nate or few. {Warm and temp. America, Tasmania.) 

 — See p. 461. 



2 ? Gayophytum A. Juss. — Flowers (nearly of Œnothera) small 

 or very small ; tube of receptacle not or scarcely produced beyond 



