Scrophulariaceae

SCROPHULARIACEAE

Habit: These are mostly herbs and under-shrubs.

Leaves: These are simple, alternate, opposite or whorled, exstipulate, and sometimes exhibit heterophylly.

Inflorescence: This is usually racemose (raceme or spike), and sometimes cymose (dichasium). It can be axillary or terminal. The flowers are solitary in some species.

Flowers: These are zygomorphic, two-lipped and some-times personate. They often have a great diversity of form. They are bisexual and hypogynous. Bracts and bracteoles are generally present.

Calyx: The sepals are (5), gamosepalous, five-lobed and often imbricate.

Corolla: The petals are (5), gamopetalous, often two-lipped and sometimes spurred or saccate. They are medianly zygomorphic, very rarely regular (as in Sco-paria), and imbricate.

Androecium: The stamens are four, didynamous, some-times two, arching over in pairs. The posterior stamen is absent or a staminode. The anthers are divaricate.

Gynoecium: The carpels are (2) and syncarpous. The ovary is superior, bilocular and antero-posterior (and not oblique as in solanaceae). The placentation is axile. The stigma is simple or bilobed. There are usually many ovules, though sometimes only a few. The disc is ring-like around the base of the ovary, sometimes unilateral.

Fruit: This is mostly a capsule and sometimes a berry.

Seeds: These are usually numerous, minute and endospermic.

                              Floral diagram of scrophulariaceae

Examples : Digitalis purpurea, brahmi (Baccopa monnieria), etc.