74 THE FUMITORT FAMILY. 



On sandy sea-shores, common all round the Mediterranean, and up the 

 western coast of Europe to Scandinavia. Frequent on the coasts of England 

 and Ireland, but decreasing much in Scotland. Fl, sam/mer. 



V. THE FUMITORY FAMILY. FUMAKIACE^. 



Delicate glabrous herbs, either annual or with a perennial 

 rootstock; the leaves much divided into distinct segments, and 

 no stipules. Flowers very irregular. Sepals 2, small and scale- 

 like. Petals 4, in two pairs, the two outer united at the base 

 and often one or both spurred ; the two inner narrow, their 

 crested tips united over the stigma. Stamens 6, hypogynous, 

 united into 2 sets of 3 each, the middle anther of each set 

 having 2 cells, the lateral ones 1 cell each. Ovary of a single 

 cell, with 2 placentas and several ovules, at least in a very young 

 stage. Fruit a 1-seeded nut, or a pod with several seeds. Em- 

 bryo small, at the base of the albumen. 



A small family, spread over the temperate regions of the northern hemi- 

 sphere, scarcely penetrating into the tropics, but reappearing in southern 

 Africa. It was formerly considered as a tribe of the Poppi/ family, with 

 which it agrees in the parts of the flower being in twos and in the structure of 

 the ovary, but differs in the irregular flowers and definite stamens. 



Fruit a small roundish nut with one seed . . . .' 1. Fumitoht. 



Fruit an elongated pod with several seeds 3. Coktdal. 



Some species of IHelytra, a North American and east Asiatic genus, are 

 cultivated for the beauty of their flowers. 



I. FUMITORY. FUMAKIA. 



One of the outer petals has a pouch or spur at its base. Fruit a small 

 roundish green nut with a single seed, although the very yoimg ovary has 

 usually three or four ovules. 



A genus of very few species, all apparently indigenous to the Mediterra- 

 nean region, although the common one is now so widely spread over the 

 globe. 



1. Common Fumitory. Fiunaria officinalis, Linn. 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 589.) 

 A dehcate annual, perfectly glabrous, and of a pale green colour, usually 

 forming, when it commences flowering, a dense tuft of a few inches in height, 

 but the stem will often grow out to the length of from 1 to 2 or 3 feet ; it 

 is then generally weak or trailing, and sometimes slightly cHmbing, sup- 

 ported by the twisted petioles. Leaves much divided into numerous seg- 

 ments, generally 3-lobed, the lobes varying in shape from narrow-Unear to 

 broadly lanceolate or oblong. Flowers in racemes of 1 to 2 mches, either 

 terminal or opposite the leaves, dense at first, but often lengthening much 

 as the flowering advances. Pedicels short, in the axil of a very small, scale- 

 like, white or coloured bract. Sepals smaU, wliite, or coloured like the 

 bracts, and often toothed. Petals oblong -linear, closed so as to form a tu- 



