THE FIGWORT FAMILY. 



281 



of their being perfectly developed in all localities. Its winged 

 seeds are beautiful microscopic objects. 



Halleria lucida. A handsome greenhouse shrub, native of 

 the Cape of Good Hope. 



Brunfelsia (or Franciscea) Americana^ B. latifolia^ B. caly- 

 cina, B. unijiora, are handsome hothouse shrubs, and with the 

 two preceding genera may be considered the most tree-like 

 or woody plants of the family. New Zealand furnishes the 

 beautiful Veronica salicifolia, V. formosay and others. 



Monkey-flower (Mimulus luteus). A native of North 

 America, but has now become naturalized in some parts of 

 this country. Many varieties have been raised, which with 

 the Musk plant {M. moschatus), native of North West America, 

 have become favourites in gardens. In this genus the stigma 

 is bilabiate and irritable, the two lips collapsing together when 

 touched with a sharp point. 



The genus Calceolaria, of which there are numerous species, 

 natives of Chili and other parts of South America, have many 

 varieties raised from the original introduced species, and now 

 prized as flower-garden plants. 



Snapdragon (^Antirrhinum majus). A native of this coun- 

 try, the varieties of which and several species of Linaria, Pent- 

 stemon, Veronica, Chelone, and many others, are well known 

 hardy garden plants. 



In the greenhouse Lophospermum eruhescens, Rliodochiton 

 volubile, natives of Mexico, and Eccremocarpus scaher, are 

 ornamental climbers. 



The family is represented in this country by about 40 species. 



On account of the genus Verbascum having 5 stamens, it 

 has been placed by some botanists in Solanaceae, while others 

 place it in the present family. They are tall growing bien- 

 nial or perennial plants, mostly having woolly stems and 

 leaves, 6 species being natives of this country. 



Great Mullein ( Verbascum Thapsus) has long been famed as 

 a domestic medicine, and in consequence of its being used in 

 pulmonary complaints in cattle, it has received the name of 

 " Bullock's Lungwort." The dry stalks and leaves were in 



