594 



CLXIII. COLUMELLIACE^. 



Golumellia, 

 Plower cut verticaUy (mag,). 



Columellia biennis. 



CoUtmellia. 

 Corolla and andrceoium laid open (mag.). 



Columellia. 



Upright ana- 



tropous ovule 



(mag.). 



Golumellia. 

 Embryo sepa- 

 rated from its 

 albumen (mag,). 



Columellia. Seed 



cut vertically 



(mag,). 



placed riglit and left of the floral axis ; style short, thick, 2-sulcate ; stigma 2-lobed ; 

 ovules numerous, ascending, anatropous. Capsule sub-woody, semi-superior by the 

 growth of its top, septicidal ; valves 2, bifid. Seeds numerous,- ascending, obovoid, 

 compressed; testa coriaceous, soft; hilum basilar; chalaza apical; raphe almost 

 wanting. Embkto straight ; albumen fleshy ; cotyledons ovoid, obtuse ; radicle longer 

 than the cotyledons, eylindric, inferior. 



This little family, composed of the single genus ColumeUia, should normally he placed hetween 

 Ruhiacea: and Gesneracecs, as in the latter family the leaves are opposite, the corolla is monopetalous' 

 epigynous suh-irregular anisoatemonous, the ovules are numerous and anatropous, the placentas are 

 placed right a,nd left of the floral axis, the embryo is straight and albuminous ; but the sinuous anthers 

 of Columellia and the septicidal dehiscence of the capsule render the diagnosis easy. They are also very 

 near Sdhiaceee in the opposite leaves, epigynous corolla, septicidal capsule and albuminous embryo ; they 

 are principally separated from them by their sestivation and anisostemonous corolla [and exstipulate leaves]. 

 ColumelliecB are natives of Mexico and Peru, [Lindley describes the anthers as 6-celled, the cells 

 arranged in three pairs on the 3-lobed fleshy connective. May not this genus be referable to Logani- 

 aeea. ? — Ed.] 



