CALYCIFLOR^ 



221 



mental South American genus Ftic/isia, with hand- 

 some nodding flowers, the perianth is beautifully 

 coloured, and from it is extracted fuchsine, a red 

 colouring matter much used as a staining reagent. 

 The flowers of Trapa expand about an hour before 

 sunrise and remain open only a few hours after sun- 

 These are pseudo-cleistogamous. Besides these 



rise. 



there are submerged true cleistogamous flowers. 



Fig^. i8g. — Lttdivi^ta pai-viflora 

 07*, Inferior ovary 



Nat. Order ii. Melastomacecs. — Herbs or shrubs, 

 with opposite entire, curvi-veined, simple, beautifully- 

 shaped leaves, which are very characteristic. Stamens 

 definite, with beaked anthers opening by pores at the 

 apex. Ovary inferior or half-inferior. Fruit usually 

 in the form of a cup or jug. 



The Order is mostly tropical. It is hardly met 

 with in the plains of Bengal excepting in the Sun- 

 derban, but is common in hilly places, as Khasi 

 Hills, Darjiling, and Pareshnath Hills. Melastoma 

 (fig. 190), Sonerila, and Osbeckia (Plate V, fig. a) are 

 representative genera. 



Nat. Order 12. Cucurbitacece. — Climbing or creep- 



