280 



DOMESTIC BOTANY. 



The Figwort Family. 



(SCROPHULARIACE^.) 



Trees, shrubs, or fruticuls (some climbers), or herbs, often 

 with square stems. Leaves simple, opposite, or whorled, or 

 sometimes alternate. Flowers axillary, solitary or in spikes, 

 racemes, or panicles. Corolla spreading or tubular, short or 

 long, 4-lobed or curved and bilabiate, the lower lip in some 

 inflated or spurred backward. Stamens 2 or 4, in some 5, 

 perfect, as in Verbascum, or 1 sterile, as in Pentstemon. Pistil 

 bifid, the lobes often broad. Fruit a 2 -celled, 2- or 4-valved 

 capsule, sometimes opening by pores, as in " Snapdragon," 

 (fi-g. 8,) rarely a berry, seeds numerous. 



Nearly 2000 species constitute this family, all being widely 

 distributed, extending to the extreme limits of plant life in 

 both hemispheres. They abound in the northern temperate 

 regions, where they consist chiefly of herbaceous plants of a 

 weedy nature, in the tropics and southern hemisphere they 

 are generally shrubby. The whole of the family possess a 

 more or less disagreeable odour, being mostly acrid and bitter, 

 some even poisonous in a high degree. Few possess any pro- 

 perties useful in the arts or domestic economy, but many are 

 highly ornamental plants when under cultivation. 



Foxglove {Digitalis purjnu^ea). One of our most showy 

 native plants, generally found growing on margins and open 

 parts of woods, and conspicuous by its tall spike of pink 

 flowers ; there is also a variety with white flowers. From its 

 leaves is obtained a most important medicine, but it requires 

 much caution in its use, for if unduly administered it sus- 

 pends the action of the heart, causing sudden death. 



The following are interesting as garden plants. 



Paulownia imperialis. A moderate sized tree, native of 

 Japan, introduced to this country about twenty years ago. 

 It attains the height of 20 feet, or more, and has broad cor- 

 date leaves, producing its flowers in terminal loose spikes. 

 Although hardy, the season of flowering is too early to admit 



