82 ENGLISH BOTANY, 
ORDER XLVIL— P OLEMONIACEjEJ. 
Herbs, rarely imder-slirubs or shrubs, having watery juice, with 
alternate simple or compound leaves without stipules, the lower 
ones sometimes opposite. Flowers perfect, regular or slightly 
irregular, generally in panicles or corymbs, often in involucrate 
heads. Calyx persistent, free from the ovary, of 5 sepals more or 
less united at the base. Corolla deciduous, hypogynous, mono- 
petalous, tubular-funnelshapecl or salver-shaped ; limb 5-partite, 
twisted in bud. Stamens 5, inserted in the tube or throat of the 
corolla, and alternate with its lobes ; anthers 2-celled. Ovary 
3-celled ; style 1 ; stigma 3-lobed ; ovules 1 or more in each cell of 
the ovary. Pruit a 3-celled capsule, loculicidally 3-valved. Seeds 1 
or more in each cell, with a mucilaginous testa containing 
spiral cells, which uncoil when the seed is immersed in water ; 
embryo straight, with foliaceous cotyledons in the midst of fleshy 
albumen. 
GENUS I.—V OLEMONIU M. Tournef. 
Calyx bellshaped, 5-cleft, herbaceous, persistent. Corolla sub- 
rotate, deciduous, regular ; tube very short ; limb 5-lobcd, usually 
concave ; segments rhombic-obovate or -suborbicular. Stamens 5, 
decimate, inserted in the throat of the corolla ; filaments dilated 
and hairy at the base, their dilated bases nearly closing the mouth 
of the corolla. Style single; stigma 3-cleft. Capsule ovoid, obtuse, 
3-cellcd, 3-valved. Seeds numerous, not winged, or narrowly 
winged. 
Herbs, with pinnate leaves, and showy blue, purple, or white 
flowers, arranged in terminal corymbs or short panicles. 
It is said that the name of this genus of plants comes from the word tzo\ihoq 
(polemoa), war, — " two kings went to war about this plant." 
SPECIES I— POLEMONIUM CiERULEUM. Linn. 
Plate DCCCCXXII. 
Reich. [c. PI. Germ, et Helv. Vol. XVIII. Tab. MCCCXXXIV. 
• et Germ, Kxsicc. No. 1273. 
