280 



MANUAL or BOTANY 



or rarely opposite, inserted on a hypogynous disc, often unequal ; 

 anthers 2-ceUed, sometimes ■united, introTSe; filaments short 

 and broad, and elongated, so as to project beyond the anthers ; 

 when the flowers are irregular, two of the anthers are spurred 

 at the base. Ovary l-ceUed, with 3 parietal placentas ; style 

 single, usually declinate ; stigma capitate oblique, hooded ; 

 ovules usually numerous. Fruit capsular, 3-valved, dehiscence 

 loculioidal; placentas parietal, on the middle of the valves. 

 Seeds usually numerous, sometimes definite ; embryo straight, 

 erect, in the axis of fleshy albumen. 



Diagnosis. — Herbs or shrubs. Leaves simple, stipulate, 

 and with involute vernation. Sepals, petals, and stamens 5 

 each, hypogynous. Stamens all perfect ; anthers introrse with 

 the filaments prolonged beyond them, and sometimes having 

 spur-like appendages below. Ovary 1-celled, with three parietal 

 placentas; style and stigma single. Fruit 1-celled, dehiscing by 

 3 valves, each valve bearing a placenta in its middle. Seeds 

 having a straight erect embryo in the axis of fleshy albumen. 



Pig. 1050. 



Fig. 1049. Sporophylls of the Pansy {Viola tricolor), si. Obliquely hooded 

 stigma, a. Xlnited anthers, two having long spurred appendages at tlie 

 base. Fig. 1050. Vertical section of the seed. 



Division of the Order and Illustrative Oenera. — The order 

 has been divided as follows : — 

 Sub-order 1. Violece. — Having irregular flowers and appendaged 



anthers. Illustrative Oenera: — Viola, Linn.; lonidium, Vent. 

 Sub-order 2. Alsodeie. — With regular flowers, and anthers not 



furnished with spurred appendages. Illustrative Genera : — 



Alsodeia, Thouars ; Pentaloba, Lour. 



Distribution and Numbers. — The herbaceous plants of the 

 sub-order Violese are chiefly natives of Europe, Siberia, and 

 North America ; the shrubby mostly of South America. The 



