250 



WEEDS AND L'SEFCL PLAXTS. 



Obs. This slugular plant — formerly a great pest among tlie flax ciops 

 — ^has become quite rare, since the culture of flax has declined. There 

 are several native species of this genus, the most common of which, C* 

 Grono'vii, WiUd., is often seen in swampy places, from August to Octo- 

 ber, twining over other plants in tangled masses, which have been 

 likened to bunches of threads of yarn, and to copper wires. 



Order LII. SOLAN A' CE^. (Nightshade Family.; 



and connected with each other, 



1. LYCOPERSICUil, 



2. SOLAXUJI. 



SXostlj- 7ie/'5s, with a watery juice and alternate Z^ai'es without stipules, regular 5-merous and 

 5-and"rous flowers on hractless pedicds ; corolla plicate or infolded-valvate in the bud ; 

 stamens inserted into the corolla, as many as its lobes and alternate with them. Fruit a 2- 

 celled (rarely 3-5-celled) many-seeded berry or capsule ; seeds with fleshy albumen. 



An Order comprising plants with widely different properties ; sometimes the foliage and 

 fruit are highly poisonous, while on the other hand it afibrds some of our most valuable 

 esculents. 



*Corolla wheel-shaped. Stamens closely converging or united around the style. Fruit 

 a berry. 



Anthers longer than the very short filaments, 

 opening lengthwise. 

 Xot connected, opening at the top by two pores. 

 Anthers shorter than the filaments, heart-shaped, opening length- 

 wise. Berry inflated, pod-like, pulp very pungent. 

 **Corolla between wheel-shaped and bell-shaped. Anthers separate. 



Calyx becoming inflated around the eatable berry. 

 ***Corolla funnel-shaped, bell-shaped or tubular. Stamens separate ; 



filaments slender. Calyx 5-toothed or 5-iobed. 

 Shrubby with vine-like branches and narrow leaves. 

 Corolla "funnel-shaped, small. Fruit a berry. 

 Annual herbs with an unpleasant odor. Fruit a pod. 



Corolla and stamens rather irregular. Pod in the urn-shaped calys 



opening at the top by a lid. 

 Corolla perfectly regular, long funnel-shaped. 



Calyx 5-angled, long, falling away after flowering. 

 Pod large and prickly. 

 Calyx not angled, persistent. Pod smooth. 



3. Capsicum. 



4. Physaus. 



5. Lycttm. 



6. HToscYAiirvi 



7. Dattpj^ 



8. XlCOTIiN'A. 



1. LYCOPER'SIGUM, Tournef. Tomato. 



[literally Wolf-Peach ; a metaphorical name, having reference to the fruit.] 



Calyx 5 - 10-parted. persistent. Corolla rotate ; tube very short ; limb 

 plicate, 5-10-lobed. S;'aw3?2S 5 - 6, exserted ; anthers oblong-conical^ 

 cohering by an elongated membrane at summit, longitudinally dehiscent 

 on the inner side. Ovarii 2 - 3-celled, with the placentee adnate to th.e 

 dissepiment, many-ovuled. Berry 2 - 3-celled. Seed^ numerous, reui- 

 form. pulpy-villous. Leaves odd-pinnately dissected. Flowers in lateral 

 racemose clusters. 



1. L. esculex'tum, 3111. Stem herbaceous ; leaves interruptedly 

 pseudo-pinnate, — the segments petiolulate, lance-ovate, acuminate, 

 deeply incised-serrate ; fruit depressed-globose, mostly torose. 



EscuLEXT Lycopersicum. Tomato, or Tomatoes. Love-apple. 



Fr. Pomme d' amour. Germ. Dcr Liebes-Apfel. Span. Tomate. 



