GAMOPETAL^— SOLAN ACE^ 151 



is only one form of flower however. The fruit (fig. 125) is a 

 capsule with transverse dehiscence. Pollination. — The liower 

 closes in dull weather ; it also opens by day and shuts in the 

 evening. It has no honey, but is visited for the sake of its 

 pollen. If it has not been cross -pollinated after opening 

 regularly for three days, the flower finally closes, and the 

 stigma is brought into contact with anthers which are coated 

 with pollen. Thus self-pollination is inevitable in the absence 

 of cross-pollination. 



CONVOLVULACEJE (Convolvulus Family) 



Twining herbs with alternate, simple, exstipulate leaves. 

 Flower regular, hypogynous.' Sepals five. Petals five, gamo- 

 petalous. Stamens five, epipetalous. Carpels two, syncarpous, 

 superior; ovary usually two-chambered, with two ovules in 

 each chamber ; style two - branched ; stigmas two. Fruit a 

 capsule. 



Type I. : BINDWEEDS (Convolvulus). 



In addition to the family characters given above, the follow- 

 ing are worthy of note : — Convolvulus twines in a left-handed 

 direction (fig. 56). Flower. — Sepals five, separate. Petals 

 five, combined, plaited and contorted in the bud. Stamens 

 five, with anthers shaped like arrow-heads. Ovary two- 

 chambered, with two ovules attached to the base of each 

 chamber. Disk ring-like with angles, and surrounding the 

 base of the ovary : it secretes honey. The flowers close in 

 the evening. 



SOLANACEiE (Potato Family) 



Herbs. Leaves alternate or paired, exstipulate. Flower 

 usually regular, cyclic, hypogynous. Sepals five. Petals five, 

 gamopetalous. Stamens five, epipetalous. Carpels two, syn- 

 carpous, superior; ovary two - chambered, with many ovules 

 on an axile placenta. 



