298 



DOMESTIC BOTANY. 



The Phlox Family. 



(POLEMONIACE^.) 



Herbs, perennial or annual ; rarely climbing or shrubby ; 

 having alternate, winged or more compound leaves. Flowers 

 solitary, spiked, in panicles or corymbs. Corolla generally 

 5-lobed. Fruit a 3-valved capsule, witli numerous seeds. 



This family consists of above 100 species, chiefly natives 

 of temperate countries in the northern hemisphere, and 

 South America. They possess no particular qualities, but 

 many have been long cultivated in gardens for their showy 

 flowers, such as different species of Phlox," Gilia, Polemonivm, 

 Litnnanthes, Leptosiphon and others, while several species of 

 the genus Cantua, shrubs, with beautiful pendulous, tubular 

 flowers are ornamental greenhouse plants, not the least in 

 impoi'tance being the well known Cobaa scandens, but which 

 must, however, be considered anomalous in the family, as its 

 general appearance is more characteristic with the Bignonia 

 family. The seeds of Collomia grandiflora are beautiful 

 objects in the microscope ; on being moistened, a mucous 

 cloud is seen around them, which ultimately separates into a 

 number of spiral threads. 



The Leadwort Family. 



(Plumbaginace^.) 



Herbs, or tufty evergreen frutlets. Leaves alternate, 

 simple, broad, or narrow and grass-like, sometimes in tufts, 

 some covered with chalk-like scurf Flowers in heads or 

 spikes, or simple or much branched panicles, blue, pink, 

 rarely white or yellow. Calyx plaited, sometimes coloured. 

 Corolla a narrow angular tube, or of 5 petals. Fruit mem- 

 branous, bladder like, 1-seeded. 



Nearly 250 species constitute this family, the greater 

 portion being natives of north temperate regions, a few ex- 

 tending to high latitudes in the south. Some are powerfully 



