312 ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE BOTANY OF [ Begoniacea. 
133. PLANTAGINEZ. 
Plantagine@ are considered by Dr. Lindley more nearly allied to Plumbaginee 
than to any other order ; and he quotes Mr. Don, as referring ‘‘ Glaux to Plantaginee, 
where it will form the connecting link between that family and Primulacee.” The 
Plantaginee are found in various parts of the globe, but chiefly in temperate and cool 
climates. They are therefore absent from the plains of India, though they may be 
cultivated there in the cold weather months. Several species, among them the Euro- 
pean P. lanceolata, are found in the Himalayas, both on the northern and southern 
face, and as far as Cashmere; these M. De Caine has kindly undertaken to describe, 
and include in his monograph of the Plantaginee, upon which he has been for some 
time engaged. 
The Plantaginee are a little bitter and astringent, but they are best known for their 
seeds affording abundant mucilage. Those of Plantago Psyllium have been long used 
for this property, and those of P.arenaria are exported from the south to the north of 
Europe (D.C.), probably also to India; as I have grown plants from seed bought in 
the bazar. P. Isphagula, probably a native of Persia, is cultivated in India in the 
cold weather, on account of the mucilage afforded by its seeds, which are called 
isufghol, from the Persian ispagool. The Arabic synonyme given is buzr-katoona, and 
the Greek fuslioon, an evident corruption of ‘Yuadvoy. : 
MONOCHLAMYDEZ. (Apetaz.) 
All the preceding orders, with the exception of the two last, are included in M. De 
Candolle’s great subdivision of Dicutamype2, or those having a double perianth, or 
both calyx and corolla. The following DicotyLepons form the subdivision of 
MonocuLaAmyDEA&, or those having only a single perianth, being the AperaL# of 
other authors. 
134. NYCTAGINE. 
The Nyctaginee, though sufficiently distinguished, are allied in some respects to 
Plumbagineé. They are chiefly found in tropical parts of the world, though Adronia 
occurs in California. The genera Pisonia and Boerhaavia, found in the West-Indies 
and New Holland, are also so in India. Pisonia, consisting of shrubs, is confined to 
the Peninsula; where P. aculeata is also found, according to Dr. Roxburgh, and the 
East-Indian plant said not to differ in any way from the West Indian. Boerhaavia- is 
found in every part of the plains of India; and the same species, B. diffusa and repanda, 
almost every where. Mirabilis Jalapa is cultivated only in gardens. | 
cd 
135. BEGONIACEZ. 
This family, consisting of but a single genus, containing numerous species, is 
uncertain in its relation to other families, being placed by some botanists among 
polypetalous, and by others among apetalous orders, but most frequently near Poly- 
gonee, which they resemble in some respects. The Begoniacee consist generally of 
- smali 
