328 



gentiAne^e 



in Europe it is blue, yellow and white being uncommon. They 

 are mostly herbs, erect and glabrous, with opposite, simple, sessile 

 leaves, and often large, brilliantly coloured flowers which are poly- 

 symmetric and usually 5-merous. The calyx is inferior, persistent, 

 usually 5-, but sometimes 4 — 8-cleft ; corolla often persistent, 

 twisted when in bud, with lobes equalling those of the calyx in 

 number, and often fringed about the mouth of the corolla-tube ; 

 stamens equalling in number, and alternate with, the lobes of the 

 corolla ; carpels 2, united in a i-chambered ovary, with 1 style and 

 2 stigmas ; fruit a many-seeded capsule. All the members of the 

 Order are intensely bitter, and form valuable 

 tonic medicines. Gentidna lutea, collected in 

 the mountains of central and southern Europe, 

 is the species most commonly employed ; but 

 there is little doubt that other species might be 

 employed with equally good effect. 



1. Microcala. — Little branched; flowers 

 yellow, 4-merous ; calyx tubular ; corolla funnel- 

 shaped ; stigma undivided. 



2. Blackstonia. — Leaves perfoliate ; flowers 

 yellow ; calyx deeply 6 — 8-cleft ; corolla rotate, 

 6 — 8-lobed ; stamens 6 — 8 ; stigma 2 — 4-cleft. 



3. Centaurion. — Flowers mostly 5-merous ; 

 corolla funnel-shaped; anthers becoming spirally 

 twisted ; stigmas 2. 



4. Cicendia. — Branched ; flowers pink, 

 4 — 5-merous ; calyx-lobes divided to the base ; 

 corolla salver-shaped ; stamens 4 ; stigma 2 -fid. 



5. Gentiana. — Flowers mostly 5-merous ; 

 corolla funnel- or salver-shaped, tube sub- 

 clavate ; anthers not twisted ; stigmas 2. 



6. Menyanthes. — Leaves scattered, ternate ; 

 flowers 5-merous ; corolla funnel-shaped, with 5 lobes, induplicate 

 in the bud, fringed all over the inner surface. 



7. NYMPHofDES. — Leaves simple, orbicular, floating ; flowers 5- 

 merous; corolla rotate, with 5 lobes, induplicate in the bud, 

 fringed at the base only. 



microcAla filif6rmis 

 {Least Gentianella). 



i. Microcala (Gentianella). — A minute, slender, little- 

 branched plant ; flowers small, yellow, 4-merous ; calyx tubular ; 

 corolla funnel-shaped ; stamens 4 ; anthers not twisted ; style 

 not persistent ; stigma undivided. (Name from the Greek micros, 

 small, kalos, beautiful.) 



1. M. filiformis (Least Gentianella). — The only British species, 



