1G7 



which arises from the bottom of the cell ; embryo cylindrical, curved round farinaceous 

 albumen. — Small herbs. Leaves opposite, without stipules. Flowers axillary, sessile. 



Affixities. Referred by Dccandolle to Illecebrese, from which they 

 differ in absence of petals and stipules, these plants appear to me to con- 

 stitute a distinct order, more nearly related to Chenopodese, from which 

 they chiefly differ in the indurated tube of the calyx, from the orifice of 

 which the stamens proceed, and in the number of the latter exceeding that 

 of the divisions of the calyx. The tribe of Minuartias is probably not dis- 

 tinguishable from Scleranthese, notwithstanding the supposed presence of 

 petals, which would perhaps be more properly called abortive stamens. 



Geography. Natives of barren fields in Europe, Asia, and North 

 America, and in sterile places in countries of the southern hemisphere beyond 

 the tropics. A single species is described from Peru. 



Properties. Uninteresting weeds, of no known use. 



Examples. Mniarum, Scleranthus. 



CLIII. CHENOPODE^. The Goosefoot Tribe. 



Atriplices, Juss. Gen. 83. (1789) — CHENOPODEyE, Vent. Tabl. 2. 253. {l^99)•,R. Brown 

 Prodr. 405. (1810) ; Lindley's Synopsis, 213. (1829). 



Diagnosis. Apetalous dicotyledons, with erect seeds, an embryo curved 

 round mealy albumen, radicle next the hilum, perigynous stamens, and her- 

 baceous ebracteate calyxes. 



Anomalies. Stamens sometimes hypogynous. 



Essential Character. — C«/?/.r deeply divided, sometimes tubular at the base, 

 persistent, with an imbricated aestivation. Stamens inserted into the base of the calyx, 

 opposite its segments, and equal to them in number, or fewer. Ovarium single, superior, 

 or occasionally adhering to the tube of the calyx, with a single omilum attached to the base 

 of the cavity ; style in 2 or 4 divisions, rarely simple ; stigmas undivided. Fruit mem- 

 branous, not valvnalar, sometimes baccate. Embryo curved round farinaceous albumen, 

 or spiral, or doubled together without albumen ; radicle next the hilum ; plumula incon- 

 spicuous. — Herbaceous plants or under -shrubs. Leaves alternate without stipulae, occa- 

 sionally opposite. Floivers small, sometimes polygamous. 



Affinities. The difficulty of distinguishing these from Amarantacese 

 has been discussed under the latter order. They are distinguished from 

 Phytolaccese, independently of the simplicity of the structure of their ova- 

 rium, by their stamens never exceeding the number of the segments of the 

 calyx, to which they are opposite : in Phytolaccese, if they are not more 

 numerous than the segments of the calyx, they are alternate with them. 



Geogkaph-y. Weeds inhabiting waste places in all parts of the world, 

 but, unlike Amarantacese, abounding least Avithin the tropics, and most in 

 extra-tropical regions. They are exceedingly common in all the northern 

 parts of Europe and Asia. 



Properties. Some of these are used as potherbs, as Basella, Spinage, 

 Garden Orach (Atriplex hortensis), and Chard Beet ; the roots of others form 

 valuable articles of food, as Beet and Mangel Wurzel. Many of them possess 

 an essential oil, which renders them tonic and antispasmodic; such are 

 Chenopodium ambrosioides and botrys. Chenopodium quinoa is a common 

 article of food in Peru. But the most important of their qualities is the 

 production of soda, which is yielded in immense quantities by the Salsolas 

 Salicornias, and others. The essential oil of Chenopodium anthelmin- 

 ticum, known in North America under the name of Worm-seed Oil, is 



