Monsonia L.

Herbs or undershrubs. Leaves opposite or alternate, stipulate. Peduncles axillary, bracteate. Flowers solitary or umbelled. Sepals 5, imbricate. Petals 5, imbricate, alternate with 5 small glands. Stamens 15, all fertile, shortly monadelphous, 5 of them opposite petals. Ovary 5-lobed, 5-locular. Fruits schizocarpic with a very long beak of 5, 1-seeded mericarps; mericarps with 5 elastic tails as long as the beak; seeds nonen-dospermous.

Africa, especially S. Madagascar, S.W. Asia, N.W. India and Pakistan; 2 species in India.

KEY TO THE SPECIES

1a. Plants glandular; peduncles 1 - 2-flowered, deflexed

2. Monsonia senegalensis

b. Plants eglandular; peduncles 3 - 13-flowered, erect

1. Monsonia heliotropioides

List of Lower Taxa