hydrophyllaceæ

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. A natural order of plants, the waterleaf family, consisting mostly of herbs, or rarely shrubs, with a watery insipid juice, alternate or rarely opposite leaves, no stipules, mostly scorpioid inflorescence, regular pentamerous and pentandrous flowers, with the stamens borne on the lower part of the corolla and alternate with its lobes, a dimerous ovary, and 2 distinct styles. There are 16 genera and about 150 species, most of which are North American. Also called Hydroleaceæ.