PHANEROGAM IA 



571 



andrcBcium and a unilocular ovary with a central placenta. Of all 

 the other Sympetalae, the Utriculariaceae alone have similar placentae. 



Family Primulaceae. — Calyx herbaceous ; style simple ; ovules 

 NUMEROUS ; fruit a capsule (Figs. 548-550). 



The plants of this family are for the most part small herbs. The 

 flowers are sometimes small and inconspicuous, sometimes large and 

 beautifully coloured ; they are either solitary or grouped in inflores- 

 cences. The capsules split at the apex into valves, or the whole top 

 falls off like a lid. 



Representative Genera. — Primula (Primrose, Cowslip), with rosette of 

 radical leaves, and flowers in umbels ; corolla with long tube ; capsule opening by 

 valves. Androsace, like the preced- 

 ing, except that the corolla has a 

 shorter tube. Zysimachia (Loose- 

 strife, Moneywort), stems with well- 

 developed internodes and leaves. 

 Anagallis (Pimpernel), fruit a pyxi- 

 dium, dehiscing transversely by a 

 lid (Fig. 549). 



Geooraphiu al Distribution. — 

 Most of the members of this family 

 are indigenous to the Temperate and 

 Arctic Zones of the Northern Hemi- 

 sphere. Various species of Primula 

 {P. acaulis, auricula, sinensis, etc.) 

 and Cyclamen, etc., are cultivated 

 as ornamental plants. 



Poisonous. — The tubers of Cycla- 

 men europaeum, the Alpine Violet, 

 which occurs wild in Bavaria (Fig. 

 550), are harmless and edible when 

 cooked. Anagallis arvensis (Poor- 

 man's weather-glass) and A. coerulea 

 are slightly toxic. 



The Myrsinaceae are tropical 

 woody plants closely allied to the 

 Primulaceae. Fruit a drupe. Ardisia 

 crenulata is a well-known ornamental 

 plant belonging to this family. 



Family Plumbaginaeeae. — 



Flowers with dry and mem- 

 branaceous calyx, divided 

 style, and ONE ovule. Fruit 

 a capsule (Fig. 551). 



To this family belong chiefly perennial herbs with rosettes of grass- 

 like or lanceolate, entire leaves. The small rose-coloured or violet 

 flowers are borne at the extremity of a long naked stem, usually in 

 panicles or capitula of scorpioid cymes. The calyx, although dry and 



Fig. 551. — Armaria vulgaris. 1, Flowering plant ; 2, 

 a flower ; 3, calyx with the projecting styles ; 4, 

 gynoecium with ovary cut through longitu- 

 dinally, showing -the single ovule ; 5, floral 

 diagram. (After Wossidlo.) 



