340 A FLORA OF MANILA 



elongated; stigma 5- to 7-lobed. Fruit fleshy, pyriform, many-seeded. 

 (From the Mexican name nopalnochotzli.) 



Species about 3, in tropical America, 1 now introduced in most other 

 tropical countries. 



1. N. COCHINELIFEBA (Mill.) Salm-Dyck. Dilang-baca (Tag.) ; Cochineal 

 Plant. 



A fleshy, erect, branched, leafless plant 1 to 3 m high, the stems 

 stout. Joints thick, oblong-obovate, green, fleshy, compressed, 15 to 25 

 cm long, with few, small, scattered, white, cushion-like bodies which are 

 unarmed or bear small spines. Flowers' scattered, solitary on the upper 

 margins of the uppermost joints. Calyx green, oblong-ovoid, 3 to 8.5 

 cm long, fleshy, bearing areolae, these usually with small bristles. Corolla 

 about 2.5 cm long. Petals several-seriate, red, the inner series gradually 

 longer, but shorter than the exserted, red st^ens. Fruit ovoid, purplish, 

 fleshy, about 3.5 cm long, top much depressed. 



Occasionally cultivated, fl. Nov.-May. A native of tropical America, 

 introduced here, cultivated and in some localities subspontaneous. 



97: LYTHRACEAE (Henna OR Banaba Family) 



Herbs, shrubs, or trees, the branches often 4-angled. Leaves entire, 

 opposite, alternate, or whorled. Inflorescence axillary or terminal, the 

 flowers solitary, fascicled, spicate, cymose, or panicled. Flowers perfect, 

 regular. Calyx-tube free, persistent, 3- to 6-lobed, lobes often appendic- 

 ulate. Petals as many as the calyx-lobes, rarely none. Stamens few or 

 many, inserted on the calyx-tube. Ovary free in the bottom of the calyx- 

 tube, 2- to 6-celled; ovules many. Fruit coriaceous or membranaceous, 

 dehiscent or indehiscent. .Seeds usually many, various. 



Genera 22, species 450, widely distributed- in the tropics, especially 

 In America, few in temperate or cold countries, 5 genera and about 14 

 species in the Philippines. 



1. Trees or shrubs. 



2. Flowers small, 4-merous 1. Lawaonia 



2. Flowers large, 6-merous 2. Lagerstroemia 



1. Low herbs with minute flowers. 



3. Walls of the capsules densely horizontally striate under a lens. 



3. Botala 

 3. Walls of the capsules not striate 4. Ammania 



1. LAWSONIA Linnaeus 



An erect shrub or small tree, the older branches sometimes spinous. 

 Leaves opposite, entire. Inflorescence a terminal panicle, the bracts small, 

 deciduous. Flowers rather small, 4-merous, numerous. Calyx-tube very 

 short, the lobes 4, ovate. Petals 4, obovate, inserted at the top of the 

 calyxrtube. Stamens usually 8, inserted in pairs between the petals, 

 sometimes fewer or more and not paired. Ovary free, sessile, 2- to 

 4-celled; style very long. Capsule coriaceous, globose, irregularly breaking 

 up. Seeds many, angular, smooth. (In honor of Dr. J. Lawson, a Scotch 

 friend of Linnaeus.) 



A monotypic genus. 



1. L. INERMIS L. Cinamomo (Sp.-FiL) ; Henna. 



An erect, much-branched shrub 3 to 6 m high. Leaves oblong-elliptic. 



