BIGNONIAOEAE 291 



Paulownia thyrsoidea Rehder. 



Tree to 6 m. tall. Branchlets and petioles pilose. Leaves ovate, 

 irregularly and sparsely serrate, usually truncate at the base, somewhat 

 pubescent, 10-15 cm. long. Flowers with the leaves, lavender, 4 cm. 

 long, in spike-like racemose panicles about 30 cm. long; calyx tomentose, 

 about 8 mm. long. 



Hupeh and Fukien. 



Other Chinese species are: — 



P. glabrata Rehder. (Shensi.) 



P. recurva Rehder. (W, Hupeh.) 



BIGNONIACEAE 



Leaves usually opposite or whorled, compound or simple, without 

 stipules. Flowers perfect, more or less irregular or bilabiate. Calyx 5 

 cleft, bilabiate or spathe-like ; corolla of 5 lobes, gamopetaloas, hypogy- 

 nous. Stamens didynamous, or 2. Ovary superior, 2 celled, rarely 1 

 celled; ovules numerous; style 1; stigma 2. Fruit a capsule; seeds 

 usually winged, exalbuminous. 



100 genera and over 600 species. Many of them climbing plants, 

 largely confined to the tropical countries, but a few extending into the 

 temperate regie . 



Campsis chinensis — the trumpet vine, commonly cultivated in gardens, 

 characterized by handsome orange or scarlet flowers, belongs to this 

 family. Catalpa is the only arborescent genus in China. 



CATALPA 



Trees. Leaves deciduous, simple, opposite or in whorls of 3's, 

 entire or lobed, pinnately veined, long petiolate, without stipules. 

 Flowers perfect, in terminal panicles or corymbs. Calyx gamosepalous, 

 splitting into 2 lobes when the flowers open. Corolla gamopetalous, 

 campanulate, 2 lipped, the upper lip, 2 lobed, the lower 3 lobed with 

 undulate margins, and variously marked and spotted on the inner surface. 

 Fertile stamens 2, inserted at the base of the corolla, included. Ovary 

 2 celled, sessile; style filiform, 2 lobed at the apex, somewhat longer 



