POLYQALAGE^. 



GENEKA. 



I. POLTGALE^. 



1. Polygala T. — Flowers irregular hermaphrodite; receptacle 

 convex. Sepals 5, usually petaloid, more or less unequal ; the 3 lateral 

 slightly (Salomonia, Badiera), or much larger than the others, wing- 

 shaped ; in prsefloratioh very much imbricate, deciduous or persistiag 

 round the fruit. Petals 5, in more or less gamopetalous corolla, open 

 at back, connate among themselves and with the stamens, imbricate ; 

 the anterior (keel) usually much larger, concave-galeate or cymbiform, 

 2, 3-lobed at apex, sometimes dorsally or at apex cristate, more or 

 less lobed or fimbriate, accrescent, in prsefloration iuterior ; the 2 

 posterior minute, tongue-shaped or squamiform, often 2-lobate, some- 

 times connate with lateral, smaller or subnil (often 0). Stamens 

 usually 8, more rarely 6, or 5, 4 {Salovionia Epirhisanthes), 2-seriate 

 (4 alternipetalous) ; filaments 1-adelphous at base, connate in sheath, 

 open at back, afterwards in lateral series equal 2-adelphous, phalanges 

 finally at apex free ; anthers incompletely or completely 2-locular, 

 at base and apex sometimes ciliate or piliferous, dehiscing inwardly 

 at apex by a short cleft or opening of varied form, simple or more 

 or less 2 -plicate. Germen free, surrounded at base by disk, thin or 

 subnil, sometimes more or less stipitate, 2-locular-; cells one 

 anterior ; one posterior ; style at apex variously curved, unequally 

 dUated or geniculate ; lobes stigmatiferous 2-4, heteromorphous or 

 geniculate ; stigmatiferous lobes 2-4 heteromorphous and unequal ; 

 1, 2, posterior, larger ; ovule in each cell solitary descendent ; micro- 

 pyle extrorse superior. Capsule generally surrounded by calyx, some- 

 times naked, the perianth being caducous (Semeiocardmm), ancipitous- 

 compressed suborbiculate, ovate, obovate, emarginate or equally or 

 unequally (Badiera) 2-dymous ; at margin sometimes marginate or 

 shortly winged, loculicidal, 1, 2-spermous. Seed descendent, glabrous 

 or pilose; exostome usually incrassate in variously shaped aril; 

 albumen copious or membranous or more rarely ( Chamcehuxus) ; 

 embryo more or less thick ; cotyledons foliaceous flat or plano-convex. 



