402 Mr. Bentuam on the Eriogonez, a Tribe of the Order Polygonacee. 
* Perianthium monophyllum, divisum, cstivatione imbricata. Stamina definita, 
imo perianthio inserta. Antherarum loculi longitudinaliter dehiscentes. 
Ovarium liberum, monospermum, ovulo erecto, Styli vel stigmata plura. 
Nux (achenium) nuda vel perianthio tecta. Albumen farinaceum, raró 
subnullum. Æmbryo inversus, sæpè unilateralis. Plwmula inconspicua.” 
Taking the involucrum as the essential character of the Eriogonee, they 
will be found also to agree in the following particulars : 
Herbæ suffruticesve sepissime lanuginosc. Folia caulina alterna, ad basin 
caulis approximata, czespitosa vel secus ramos fasciculata, exstipulata, 
petiolo basi dilatato sepius amplexicauli vel vaginante. | Pedunculi vel 
.rami floriferi terminales, nunc simplices involucro solitario terminali, 
scepiüs 2—3-chotomé vel umbellatim ramosi, involucris solitariis glome- 
ratisve intra ramificationes secus ramos vel ad apices sessiles vel pedicel- 
lati. Bractew vel folia ramorum floralium sub ramificationes orta, tot 
quot rami vel (ramis abortientibus) numerosiora, nunc minuta squamee- 
formia, nunc herbacea at foliis caulinis difformia, szepissimé sessilia, ex- 
stipulata vel rariüs stipulis scariosis aucta. Jnvolucrum. monophyllum, 
tubulosum, campanulatum vel subcyathiforme, apice 2—6-dentatum, 
]—multi-florum. Flores hermaphroditi vel rariüs dioici, in involucro pe- 
dicellati, cum bracteolis setaceis seepé intermixti. Perianthium simplex, 
profundé 6-fidum, laciniis 3 exterioribus, 3 interioribus. Stamina 9, basi 
subeoalita. Ovarium triquetrum. Styli 3, filiformes. Stigmata termi- 
nalia, tenuia vel parüm incrassata, capitata. Achenium triquetrum vel 
vix trialatum. 
From the above description it will appear that there are considerable dif- 
ferences in habit between Er?ogonec and the rest of Polygonacee ; yet when we 
observe an approach to the dichotomous or verticillate inflorescence in several 
Polygona (Aconogona and. Cephalophila) and Kenigia; the resemblance be- 
tween the stipules of Polygona (dvicularie) and those of Eriogonum angulo- 
sum; the very great analogy between the organs of fructification in Rheum 
and the Eriogonew, and that even in regard to the involucres, the ochrezeform 
bracts* of many Polygona (Persicarice) may be assimilated to the involucra of 
* See Meisner, Monogr. Gen. Polygoni, p. 22. 
