Page:Manual of the New Zealand Flora.djvu/184

144 Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 75; ''Handb. N.Z. Fl. 62; Benth. Fl. Austral.'' ii. 451; Kirk, Students' Fl. 144.

 

Herbs, rarely undershrubs. Leaves alternate, often rosulate, stipulate, usually furnished with glandular irritable hairs; vernation circinate. Flowers regular, hermaphrodite. Calyx 4–5-partite or divided into 4–5 free sepals, imbricate, persistent. Petals the same number, hypogynous, rarely perigynous, free or sometimes connate at the base. Stamens 4-5, rarely more, hypogynous or perigynous, rarely epipetalous. Ovary free or nearly so, 1–3-celled; styles 1–5, simple or bifid or multifid; ovules numerous, attached to parietal placentas equalling the styles in number. Capsule membranous, loculicidally 3–5-valved; seeds numerous, albuminous; embryo straight, axile.

Herbs, either scapigerous or with a leafy stem. Leaves rosulate or alternate, covered with numerous hair-stalked glands which secrete a drop of transparent viscid fluid. Stipules wanting or adnate to the base of the petiole. Flowers solitary or in terminal often one-sided racemes or cymes. Calyx 4–5-partite. Petals 4–5, hypogynous or rarely perigynous, marcescent. Stamens the same number. Ovary ovoid or globose, 1-celled; styles 2–5, free or connate below; ovules numerous, on 2–5 parietal placentas. Capsule oblong, 2–5-valved. Seeds minute; testa lax.