MANUAL OF NATUEAL HISTORY. 421 



2. Family. — Broom-rapes (Orobanchaceae). Her- 



baceous, parasitic, leafless ; stems covered 

 with scales ; calyx divided, persistent ; corolla 

 usually bilabiate, persistent ; aestivation imbri- 

 cated ; stamens four, didynamous ; disk fleshy ; 

 style one ; stigma 2-lobed ; placentae parietal ; 

 fruit capsular, enclosed within the withered 

 corolla, ] -celled, 2-valved. Inhabit Southern 

 Europe, Barbary, Cape of Good Hope, North- 

 ern and Middle Asia, and North America. 



3. Family. — Stilbids (Stilbaceae). Shrubs ; leaves 



whorled, close, leathery, exstipulate ; flowers 

 in dense spikes at the end of the branches ; 

 calyx tubular ; corolla valvate ; stamens equal 

 to, and alternate with, segments of corolla ; 

 ovary sessile, 2-celled ; style terminal, ex- 

 serted ; stigma simple ; placentae axile ; fruit 

 dry, 1 -seeded ; seeds definite, erect. A small 

 family inhabiting the Cape of Good Hope. 



4 . Family. — Diapensiads (Diapensiaceae). Under- 



shrubs, prostrate ; leaves small, densely im- 

 bricated ; flowers solitary, terminal ; calyx 

 of five sepals ; corolla regular ; aestivation im- 

 bricated ; stamens five ; filaments petaloid ; 

 anthers dehiscing transversely ; ovary 3-celled; 

 style simple, continuous ; stigma sessile, with 

 three short decurrent lobes ; placentae axile ; 

 fruit capsular ; seeds indefinite, peltate. 

 Mountain plants ; found in the North of 

 Europe and North America. 

 o. Family. — Gassipourea-ds (Cassipoureaceae). Trees 



