GEBANIAOE^. 39 



descendent or oblique (sometimes ascendent); mioropyle usually 

 extrorse superior. Capsule 2-3-merous, loculicidal ; valves persis- 

 tent by middle of septa in columella. . Seeds in each. 1, 2, descen- 

 dent or more rarely ascendent ; albumen fleshy ; embryo linear curved 

 or circinate. — Small shrubs or herbs diffuse or much ramified ; leaves 

 opposite entire or crenate or dentate exstipulate; flowers in upper- 

 most axils at or apex of branches compound cymose ; inflorescence 

 sometimes umbelliform or eorymbiform. {South suMrop. or 

 extratrop, America) Seep, 13. 



Y. TEOPJEOLE^. 



12. Tropseolum L. — Flowers hermaphrodite irregular ; receptacle 

 cupular, more or less longproduced at back in a free spur of variedform. 

 nectariferous within. Sepals 5, inserted at margin (often coloured), 

 imbricate or subvalvate. Petals 5, or fewer by abortion (the anterior 

 wanting or small), unequal (of varied form and colour), imbricate. 

 Stamens 8, 2-seriate; 4 alternipetalous (posterior deficient) and 4 

 oppositipetalous (anterior deficient) ; filaments free ; anthers 2-locu- 

 lar, laterally or introrsely rimose. Germen free ; cdls 3 (2, anterior 

 alternipetalous ; style apiculate or inserted at summit of depressed 

 germen divided at apex into 3 branches equal or unequal, stigmati- 

 ferous within. Ovules in cells solitary descending, micropyle ex- 

 trorse superior. Fruit carpels 3, becoming dry or more or lessindu- 

 rate-fleshy or subdrupaceous, separating from short columella, rugose, 

 indehisoent. Embryo of descendent seed exalbuminous, ; cotyledons 

 thick plano-convex ; radicle short superior. — Yolubile or some- 

 times diffuse herbs ; leaves alternate, peltate or angular palmate, 

 lobed or dissected ; stipules or more rarely minute, setiform or 

 dissected; flowers axillary solitary pedunculate. {South America.) 

 See p. 14. 



VI. BALSAMINE^. 



13. Impatiens L.— .-Flowers irregular hermaphrodite ; receptacle 

 small convex. Sepals 5 (anterior 2 small, usually all wanting in 

 adidt flower) ; posterior large, produced at base into a hollow spur, 

 preefloration imbricate. Petals S imbricate ; 4 posterior more or 



