DICOTYLEDONES— COEOLLIFLOBJi 



389 



corolla. Ovary 1 — 2-ceUed, with two parietal placentas ; styles 

 and shg'm.as 2 ; ovules 2 or many. Fruit capsular, 2-valved, 

 2- or 1-oelled. Seeds netted ; albumen hard, abundant. 



Distribution and Numbers. — Chiefly natives of the northern 

 and most southern parts of the American continent. Illustrative 

 Genera : — HydrophyUum, Toiirn. ; Nemophila, Bart. There 

 are about 80 species. 



Properties and Uses. — Unimportant. 



Order 193. BoRAGiNACEa;, the Borage Order. — Character. — 

 Herbs or rarely shrubs, with more or less rounded, usually rough 

 and hairy stems. Leaves alternate, entire, or rarely sinuated, 

 usually rough, exstipulate. Inflorescence a heUcoid cyme or a 

 unilateral raceme. Plmvers regular, symmetrical. Calyx per- 

 sistent, inferior, 4— 5-partite, or -lobed. Corolla regular or 

 nearly so, 4 — 5-partite, usually with scales in its throat; cesfi- 



Pig. 1157. 



Fig. 1158. 



Fig. 1157. Yertical sec- 

 tion of the fniit of a 

 species of J/yosofts. Two 

 achienia are seen, and 

 two liave been removed. 



Fig. 1168. Diagram 



of the flower of the 

 Comfrey (^Symphytum 

 officinale). 



vation imbricate. Stamens equal in number to the lobes of the 

 corolla and alternate with them. Ovary superior, and composed 

 of two carpels, each of which is 2-lobed and 2-celled, with a 

 solitary pendulous ovule in each cell ; style 1, basilar ; stigma 

 simple or bifid. Fruit consisting of from 2 to 4 distinct achsenia, 

 placed at the bottom of the persistent calyx. Seeds exalbumi- 

 nous ; emhryo straight, with a superior radicle. 



Diagnosis. — Herbs with rounded, usually rough stems, and 

 alternate exstipulate leaves. Inflorescence helicoid or unilateral. 

 Flowers regular and perfect. Sepals, petals, and stamens equal 

 in number, the latter being alternate with the divisions of the 

 corolla. Ovary superior, deeply 4-lobed, with one ovule in each 

 lobe : style 1, basilar. Fruit composed of 2 — 4 achaenia placed 

 at the bottom of the persistent calyx. Seeds exalbuminous. 



Distribution and Nu/mbers. — Chiefly natives of temperate 

 regions in the northern hemisphere. Illustrative Genera : — 



