THE EVENING PRIMROSE FAMILY. 385 



shrublet plants, with opposite leaves, chiefly natives of New 

 Zealand, H. Cercodia having been introduced to Kew during 

 Captain Cook's first voyage in 1772. 



The Evening Primrose Family. 



(Onagrace^.) 



Small erect or decumbent shrubs or fruticuls, or more 

 generally annual or perennial herbs. Leaves simple, alter- 

 nate or opposite. Flowers solitary, axillary or in terminal 

 racemes. Calyx 4-lobed. Petals 4, twisted before expan- 

 sion, equal or unequal (as in Lopezia). Stamens generally 4 

 or 8, rarely 1 only. Pistil 1, with a round club or 4-lobed. 

 Petal like stigma. Fruit a round or oblong, many-seeded, 

 fleshy berry, or a cylindrical dry 4-valved capsule. Seeds 

 numerous, naked or with a feathery appendage. 



Nearly 500 species constitute this family. They are widely 

 dispersed ; the herbaceous species, many of which are annuals, 

 are chiefly confined to temperate countries of the northern 

 hemisphere ; the shrubby species to Mexico, Chili, Brazil, 

 and New Zealand. In this country the family is represented 

 by several species of Willow Herb (Epilobium). They have 

 no special useful properties ; but some are highly ornamental 

 out-door plants, such as many species of OEnothera^ Clarkia 

 pulchella, and others natives of California and Oregon. The 

 Evening Primrose {CEnothera hiennis) is a native of Virginia, 

 and now naturalized in many parts of Europe, being culti- 

 vated in Germany for the sake of its roots, which are used as 

 a vegetable. The most attractive of the family are species of 

 Fuchsia ; the first, known as F. coccinea, native of Chili, was 

 introduced in 1788. In 1823, F. decussata, also a native of 

 Chili, was introduced, and other species successively followed ; 

 and between that time and 1837, the fine Mexican species, 

 F. fulgens, F. cordata, and F. corymhijiora. Since then nu- 

 merous fine varieties, with showy flowers, have been raised. 

 The fruit of F. corymhiflora is wholesome and not unpala- 

 table. 



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