152 PHYTOLACCE& (Sond.) [Limewm. 
- Herbs or shrubs, rarely trees, with alternate (v. rarely opposite) simple, very 
entire leaves, with or without stipules. Flowers in spikes, racemes or cymes, 0 
Natives of the tropics and the warmer temperate zone, more frequent in America 
than in the Old World. About 80 species are known. The affinities are obviously 
with the Caryophylloid group of Orders, from which the present is chiefly known by 
the structure of the ovary. (iesekia, in habit, much resembles some Molluginex- 
Limewm and Semonvillea are African types, but found in North as well as South- 
Africa. 
TABLE OF THE SOUTH-AFRICAN GENERA. 
Tribe 1. Livex. Fruit of two, plano-convex, dry, hard carpels. 
I: Semonvillea.— Carpels orbicular, flattened, with a marginal wing. 
II. Limeum,—Carypels hemispherical, wingless. 
Tribe 2. Gresexinz. Fruit of several, separate or confluent carpels. 
III. Giesekia.—Carpels 3-4-5, warted or crested, hard and dry. 
AE Bats Sere fa ane 5-12, fleshy or juicy, separate or united into a many- 
C) it. 
I, SEMONVILLEA. Gay. 
Flowers perfect. Sepals 5, separate, herbaceous, with membranous 
edges. Petals 5 or none, clawed, Stamens 5-7, hypogynous, the dilated 
filaments slightly connected at base. Ovary compressed, formed of two 
plano-convex carpels, united by their flat side ; styles 2, filiform ; stigmas 
‘sub-capitate. Fruit orbicular, dry, formed of two, separable, one-seeded, 
indehiscent, plano-convex cocci, winged round the margin. Endl. Gen. 
5259. DC. Prod. 13. 2. p. 19. : = 
Slender, branching, glabrous, annuals, natives of Senegal and of S. Africa. The 
at ves are very narrow, slightly fleshy without obvious veins, laxly scattered on the . 
: - _Bracts 3 under each flower, and one under each short pedicel. Flowers 
minute. Named in honour of M. Semonville, a French Botanist, ee , 
1. 8, fenestrata (Fenzl, Nov. Stirp. Dec. Mus. Vind. 5. p. 42); stem 
much-branched, erect or diffuse, glabrous ; leaves very long, narrow- 
linear, mucronate, narrowed at base; carpels rather longer than the 
calyx, the wings entire and sub-continuous below, transparent between 
the nerves (as if glazed). Mog. in DC. Prod. Hook, Ic. t. 587. 
—— roe] fa BE. Mey.t ce. p.20. Hook, lc. t. 597 
amaqualand, Drege/ Vaal and Caledon Rivers, Burke and 
ook., Sond.) 
of the menmbran omnes be the centre, and continuous 
aS 5, connate at base, herbaceous, with mem- 
Stamens 7 (rarely 5-8-10), 
b-globose, formed ete 
ag teooauli. sti 
