142 ORDERS PENTANDRIA AND DECANDRIA. 



like any of the preceding, secondary divisions, upon 

 the number and disposition of the stamens. 



THE ORDERS PENTANDRIA AND DECANDRIA. 



In Pentandria is now placed the Passion-flower 

 {Passijiora), the type of a peculiar natural order of 

 the same name. This genus, of scandent or climb- 

 ing plants, is one among so many others peculiar to 

 America, but more particularly to the forests of the 

 southern continent. Their immensely long, and often 

 woody branches attain the summits of the loftiest 

 trees, or trail upon the ground, adorned with peren- 

 nially green or falling leaves, sometimes palmate or 

 lobed like fingers, in others like those of Laurel. 

 They sustain themselves by means of undivided ten- 

 drils ; and send out a long succession of the most 

 curious and splendid flowers, of which no other part 

 of the world offers any counterpart. Some of these 

 flowers are extremely fragrant, and succeeded by 

 pleasant tasted, acidulous fruits, resembling berries or 

 small cucumbers. — The character of the genus is, 

 to have a 5-parted, colored calyx ; 5 petals inserted 

 upon the calyx ; the nectary or lepanthium, a crown 

 of filaments ; and the fruit a pedicellated pepo, or 

 berry. There are 3 species indigenous to the United 

 States, commonly growing in light and dry soils, near 

 the banks of rivers, from the lower part of the states 

 of Delaware and Maryland, to the south and west 

 indefinitely. The P. hitea has small, greenish yellow 

 flowers of but little beauty, and cordate, obtuse, 3- 

 lobed leaves. The P. incarnata has conspicuous 

 reddish or pale colored flowers, and 3-lobed, acute, 

 serrated leaves, with 2 glands on the petiole, and, 

 as in many other species, furnished with a 3-leaved 

 involucrum, almost similar to an additional calyx. 



