SCROPHULARIACEAE FIGWORT FAMILY 



This large and widely distributed family contains at least 

 2500 species, most of them herbs, though a few are shrubs and 

 trees. A few plants are very poisonous, a few more are trouble- 

 some weeds, and some are used in medicine. The family also 

 contains many species with beautiful flowers, and a large 

 number of these are cultivated for ornamentation. 



KEY TO GENERA 



I . Herbs 2 



Trees ii 



1. Perfect stamens 2 lo 



Perfect stamens 4 3 



Perfect stamens 5 Verbascum p. 300 



Corolla spurred at the base Linaria p. 301 



Corolla not spurred 3 



Petals of 1 colors, blue and white Collinsia p. 303 



Petals colored alike 5 



5. A sterile stamen present 6 



No sterile stamen 8 



6. Sterile stamen a mere scale Scrophularia p. 304 



Sterile stamen a filament 7 



Sterile stamen shorter than the others Chelone p. 306 



Sterile stamen about equaling the others. . . .Pentstemon p. 305 



Flowers crowded in a spike Pedicularis p. 313 



Flowers axillary 9 



Corolla distinctly 2-lipped Mimulus p. 307 



Corolla scarcely 2-lipped Gerardia p. 311 



10. Calyx and corolla 5-lobed Gratiola p. 308 



Calyx and corolla 4-lobed Veronica p. 309 



11. Flowers tubular, purple, 2 inches or more in length, 



panicled Paulownia p. 306 



Sweet herbs in plenty, blue borage 

 And the delicious mint and sage, 

 Rosemary, marjoram, and rue, 

 And thyme to scent the winter through. 



* * * 



Take roses red and lilies white 

 A kitchen garden's my delight; 

 Its gillyflowers and phlox and cloves. 

 And its tall cote of irised doves. 



The Choice — Katharine Tynan 



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