164 



a multitude of characters, and with the latter in habit. Decandolle includes 

 Nitraria and Reaumuria amonf^ his Ficoideae spuriae, at the same time ex- 

 pressing a doubt whether they belong either to that or the same order. To 

 me it appears that the affinities of Reaumuria are greater with Hypericum, 

 and I accordingly adopt Dr. Ehrenberg's proposed separation of that genus 

 along with Hololachna, the Tamarix songarica of Pallas, into a little order 

 to be called Reaumurieae. The affinity of Nitraria with Ficoidese is undoubt- 

 edly great, especially with Tetragonia ; but its very different embryo, and 

 the peculiar aestivation of the petals, which is much more like that of Rham- 

 neae, remove it from that order. 



Geography. Natives of western Asia and the north of Africa. One 

 species is described from New Holland. 



Properties. Slightly saline. Otherwise unknown. 



Example. Nitraria. 



CL. ILLECEBREtE. 



HERNiARiiE, Cat. Hort. Par. (1777) — iLLECEBREiE, R. Brown Prodromus, 413. 

 (1810); Lindl. Synops. 60. (1829)._PARONYCHiEii:, Aug. St. Hil. Mim. Plac. 

 lib. p. 56. (1815); Juss. Mim. Mus. 1. 387- (1815); Dec. Prodr. 3. 365. (1828); 

 Mimoire sur les Paronych. (1829). 



Diagnosis. Polypetalous dicotyledons, with perigynous stamens oppo- 

 site the 5 sepals, minute petals, concrete carpella, a 1 -celled ovarium, and 

 leaves with scarious stipulae. 



Anomalies. Petals very often wanting. Stamens sometimes hypo- 

 gynous. 



Essential Character — Sepals 5, seldom .3 or 4, sometimes distinct, sometimes 

 cohering more or less. Petals minute, inserted upon the caly.K between the lobes, occa- 

 sionally wanting. Stamens perigynous, exactly opposite the sepals, if equal to them ia 

 number, sometimes fewer by abortion ; filamenls distinct ; anthers 2-celled. Ovarium 

 superior; s<^/e* 2 or 3, either distinct or partially combined. Fruit small, dry, l-celled,. 

 either indehiscent, or opening with 3 valves. Seeds either numerous, upon a free central 

 placenta, or solitary and pendulous from a funiculus originating in the base of the cavity 

 of the fruit; albumen farinaceous; embryo lying on one side of the albumen, curved more 



or less, with the radicle always pointing to the hilum ; cotyledons small Herbaceous 



or half-shrubby branching plants, with opposite or alternate, often fascicled, sessile, entire 

 leaves, and scarious stipuliB. Flowers miimte, with scarious bracteae. 



Affinities. Very near Portulaceae, Amarantaceae, and Caryophylleae, 

 from which they are distinguished with difficulty. By excluding Scleran- 

 theae, which I consider, with Mr. Brown, a distinct order, their scarious 

 stipul'je will distinguish them from the two last ; and there is scarcely any 

 other character that will ; for there are Caryophyllea; that have perigynous 

 stamens, as Lurbrea and Adenarium, and Illecebreae which have hypogynous 

 ones, as Polycarptta, Stipulicida, and Ortegia. From Portulaceae they are 

 scarcely to be known with absolute certainty, except by the position of the 

 stamens before the sepals instead of the petals. With Crassulaceac, parti- 

 cularly Tillaea, they agree very much in habit, but their concrete carpella 

 will always distinguish them. Decandolle comprehends in the order various 

 plants which have not stipulic ; but as the latter organs seem to be an essen- 

 tial part of the character, I should exclude his Queriaceae, and Minuartieae, 

 which will be found elsewhere. The remaining tribes will be: — 



1. Telephiex. 



Calyx 5-parted. Petals and stamens 5, arising from the bottom of 



