PHANEROGAMIA 



593 



flowers having a tubular corolla and aggregated in small heads or spikes. Specu- 

 laria (Venus's Looking-glass), with rotate corolla. 



Geographical Distiubution. — The members of this family are mostly native 

 of the North Temperate Zone, where they occupy a, very prominent position in 

 the vegetation, rather as the result of the 

 striking appearance of their flowers than 

 because of the occurrence of a large num- 

 ber of individuals. 



Family Lobeliaceae. — Flowers zygo- 

 morphic ; anthers adherent, forming a 

 tube ; ovary bilocular ; fruit a capsule 

 or berry. 



As in the Papilionaceae, the median 

 sepal is anterior ; but, before the flowers 

 open, by the torsion of the flower-stalk, 

 the parts of the flower ultimately appear 

 to occupy the normal position. The 

 Lobeliaceae are chiefly tropical plants. 

 Lobelia Dortmanna occur in the ponds of 

 Northern Europe. 



Officinal. — Herb a Lobeliae is 

 derived from Lobelia inflata (Indian 

 Tobacco). 



Family Cueurbitaeeae, a group 

 of doubtful relationship, annexed 

 to the Campanulmae. Flowers epi- 

 gynous, unisexual ; calyx and 

 corolla actinomorphic, adnate at 

 the base ; stamens five, but they 



FREQUENTLY COHERE either IN 



pairs, so that there appear to be 

 but three stamens, or, more rarely, 

 they are all united into a column ; 

 anthers monothecious ; ovary tri- 

 locular ; fruit baccate, a pepo or 

 succulent berry. Herbs without 

 latex, commonly climbing by tendrils (Figs. 585-587). 



The majority of the Cueurbitaeeae, although only annual herbs, grow 

 to a large size. They are usually covered with stiff hairs, and have 

 long, often hollow stems with large heart-shaped or lobed leaves and 

 corkscrew-like tendrils arising near the leaves. The flowers are 

 axillary, either solitary or in groups. The corolla and calyx are 

 united together at the base into a cup -shaped receptacle, from the 

 margin of which are given off the delicate sepals. The gamopetalous 

 corolla extends above the level of the stigma ; it is rotate or cam- 

 panulate, always deeply five-lobed, and of a yellow or whitish colour. 

 The reduction and cohesion of the tortuous anthers (anther-halves) 

 give the andrcecium a highly characteristic appearance (Fig. 587). The 



3 A 



Fig. 587. — Bryonia ilioica. A, Flowering branch 

 (reduced) ; B, female ; C, male flower (nai . 

 size) ; D, androecium (magnified) ; E, fruits ; 

 F, fruit in section. — Poisonous. 



