212 



CLASSIFICATION 



nilgerrensis) (fig. 182), a trailing herb common in 

 Shillong, has a globose, pale-pink fruit. Some of the 

 Rosaceae resemble Ranunculaceas in the structure of 

 their flowers. 



Nat. Order 3. CrassulacecB. — Herbs or under-shrubs. 

 Stems and leaves usually succulent. Leaves usually 

 simple, sometimes lobed. Flowers regular. Sepals 

 4 to 5, connate, inferior. Petals 4 to 5, free. Stamens 

 as many as, or twice as many as the petals, hypo- 



gynous or epipetal- 

 ous. Carpels 4 to 5, 

 apocarpous. Fruit 

 usually follicular. 

 Seeds albuminous. 



General in the Nor- 

 thern Hemisphere. 

 This Order is char- 

 acterized by com- 

 pletely isomerous 

 flowers, a peculiarity 

 rather rare among 

 Dicotyledons. The 

 common plants are pathar-kucha and himsagar 

 {Bryophyllum calycinum and Kalanchoe laciniata (fig. 

 183), the former with long tubular pendulous, and the 

 latter with erect, protandrous flowers. Observe that 

 the margins of the leaf of the first are crenate, and that 

 in the crenatures buds arise (see fig. 126). These buds 

 gradually develop into seedlings, which, separating 

 from the leaves, 'drop to the ground and grow into 

 new plants. When placed in moist soil, the leaves or 

 their fragments also develop seedlings from their cre- 

 natures. This is taken as an instance to illustrate 

 the development of ovules from buds borne upon the 

 margins of carpellary leaves (marginal theory of 



Figr- 182. — Strawberry {Fragaria nilgerrensis) 

 I, Leaf. /, Flower, ft. Fruit. 



