S83 



Steeded : seed (in Sesamum attached to art easily separable 4- 

 sided central placenta) winged or wmglesSj exalbuminaus : 

 embryo straight : cotyledons plano-convex, longer than the rad- 

 icle. — Herbaceous plants, often with soft texture and heavy 

 smell, covered with glandular hairs or quaternary vesicles : 

 leaves cipposite or alternate; undivided or lobed* without "sti- 

 pules : flowers axillary, solitary or clustered, usually large, fur- 

 nished in many cases with conspicuous bracts, sometimes with 

 glands on the pedicels: 



GliNlis'l. SESAMUM; 



Dldynamia Ahgiospermia. Sex: Sysit ' 



Dp.riv. From Sempsen, the Egyptian name of one of the 

 species. 



Gen. Chab. Calyx. 5-parted, pej-aistent, upper lobe smaller : 

 tube of the corolla enlarged upwards, limb folded, somewhat 2- 

 lipped, upper lip emarginate, lower one half 3-cleft, intermediata 

 segment elongated : stamens four with the rudiment of a fifth. : 

 anthers oval-oblong : stigma narrowly bilamellate : capsule ob- 

 long, obtusely four-cornered, 4-furrowed, acuminated with the 

 base of the style, 2-valved, 2-celled, valves recurved inwards aa 

 if 4-celled : seeds numerous, in one serieg, thick, obovoid, wing- 

 less. — ;Herbaceou8 annuals with opposite, or alternate, undivided 

 or lower 3-lobed or trisect, entire or toothed leaves : flowers soli- 

 tary in the axils ; seeds oily. 



(1) Si Indicum. (Dec.) 



Ident. Dec. prod. IX. p. 250. 



Syn. S. orientale, Linn, Roxh, ft. Ind. III. p. 100.— rS. liite- 

 um, Retz. 



Engrav. Bot. Mag. t. 1688. — Rheede Mai. IX. t. 54, 55.-^ 

 Kumph. Amb. 6. t. 76. fig. I.— Burmi,Zeyl.,t. 38. fig. I. 



Spec. Ghar. SteHi erect, pubescent: leaves ovate-oblong o«r 

 lanceolate, lower ones often 3-lobed or cut : capsule mucronate 

 "with the persistent base of the style. Velvety-pubescent : flowers 

 white, suffused with rose. 



All over India, flowering in the hot season. ' The seeds^ontain a 

 ..fixed oil, known as Gingely. It has never been found' in a' wil^ 

 state. ■ " 



