3 PQLYGOtfACEAE. 



adnascens, ovaCum v. eliipticum v. trigonum, I-locuJare v. septis spuriis semitriloculare. Ovu 

 lum unicum, basilare, sessile v. funictilo brevi sustentum, erectum, ortbotropum (micropyle 

 verticem lociili spectante) rarius ex: apice funiculi basilaris longiusculi liberi pendulum in- 

 versum, demum erectum. Styli 2 v. 3 (raro 4) angulos ovarii spectantes, liberi v. plus 

 minus connati , filiformes, decidui, interdum brevissimi v. subnulli. Stigmata capitata v. 

 depresso-discoidea \. reniformia , Integra laevia aut papilloma v. penicillato-nmbriata. Nucula 

 (v. achaentum, caryopsis Auct.) l-locularis, monosperma, calyce plus minus aucto sicco v. car- 

 noso v. saepe valde aucto alato v. samaroideo inclusa (rarius exserta), libera v. rarius 

 calyci interne adnata, 2- v. 3- (raro 4-) gona, (rarius teres ovoidea v. subglobosa), angu- 

 lis obtusis acutisve, interdum alaeformibus integris v. dentatis v. setaceo-echinatis ; pericar- 

 pio tenui ci ustaceo v. membranaceo v. subspongioso , exttis laevi nitido v. minute punctato- t 

 v. granulato-striato, rarius echinato, intus laevi v. rarius septula 3 v. 6 membranacea longitu- 

 dtnalia imperfecta formante. Semen loculo conforme, 2—3-4 gonum v. teres, erectum, libe- 

 rum vel cum pericarpio concrescens, interdum sulcis longitudinaltbus 3 v. 6 (quorum alterni 

 profobdiores) 3- v. 6-lobum, testa membranacea, umbilico basilari nudo (arillo nullo). Albu 

 mfn coptosum, farinaceum (album), rarius carnoso-subcorneum (viresceqs), nonuunquam in 

 ambitu sulcato - subruminatum. Embryo atititropus, lateralis, albuminis angulo n rarius lateri 

 adprcssus v. semiimmersus et tunc arcuatus, rarius axilis, albumine inchisus et tunc rectus; 

 ROSTELLO supero, interdum albumen superaute; cotyledonibus foliaceis (sibi accumbentibus) 

 lineai ibus v. ovalibus planis, rarius latis anfractuosis, plumitla inconspicua; germinatione epigaea. 



Herbae (annuae, biennes v. perennes) rarius frutjces v. arbores, nonnunquam scan- 

 dentes, aliae in arenosis aridis r. salsis , aliae in humidis et solo pingui frequentiores f prae- 

 cipue ripnriae, per totum orbem dijfusae, pleraeque incomptae, succo aqueo insipido «?. adstrin- 

 genti r. acri v. acetoso; radices ramoso-fibrosae , quandoque tuberculosa e ; caules nonnulla- 

 ruin subterranei perennes (rhizomata) lignosi, tuberi formes r. tortuosi, reliquarum epigaei de- 

 cumbentes t\ erecti t\ volubiles , teretes v. angnlati, saepe sulcati , nonnunquam Jistulosi , nodis 

 saepe tu/nentibus, rami's saepe dichotomis, quandoque articulatis r. spinescentibus v. rarissime in 

 cirrhum abeuntibus. Folia sparsa (dispositione spirali 2 / 5 v. yj herbacea v. coriacea i, decidua 

 v. rarius perennia^ simplicia, integerrima (nonnunquam undulata v. margine crispato pseudo- 

 crennlata, rarissime pinnatim v. palmatim laci'mata, in paucissimis peltata) baud raro glandulis 

 vel superjicialibus vel immersis saepius pellucidis punctata , nertis pinnatis v. palmatis , cenulis 

 saepe reticulatim promim/lis, vernatione marginibus revoluta, Petjoli ima bast plus minus dila- 

 tati et amplexicaules v. in vaginam (ochrearn) expansi, Ochreae membranaceae (rarius herba- 

 ceae v. suhcoriaceae) decolores, persistentes *\ deciduae 9 nunc cylindrico-tubulosae y horizontafifer 

 v. oblique truncatae , margine v. bast setaceo-ciliatae v. nudae, nunc bipartitae, lobis integer- 

 rimis p. demum plerumque laceris ; summac (praecipue Jlorales) plerumque aphyllae , braciea- 

 rum locum tenentes. Flores axillares, fasciculati v. pseudo-verticillati, raro solitarii , ant in 

 racemos f. spicas r. capitula disposM, spicis capitulisve saepius geminis v. racemosis v. 

 con/mbosis v. pam'culatis ; bracteae ochreiformes (saepius turbinatae 9 ciliatae v. nudaej I -— 

 pluriforae (in Eriogoneis in involucrum \—pluriflorum connatae) ; pedicelli capillares (quan- 

 doque subnulli j, plerumque articulati; fructiferi plerumque penduli v. dejiexi, nonnunquam in- 

 crassafi et indurati r articnlo inferiore persistente plerumque breriore , superiore cum calyce 

 continuo et deciduo nonnunquam alato v. clavato. Calyces parti virides t. flarescentes v. 

 saepius albi v. rosei v. sangninei (nunquam coerulei) , fructiferi saepe fusci v. pnrpnrei. 



