107 

 XC. DATISCEiE. 



Datisce;e, R. Brown in Denham, 25. (1826.) 



Diagnosis. Apetalous dicotyledons, with indefinite ovules, a 1-celled ova- 

 rium with parietal placentae, dehiscent fruit, regular dioecious flowers, and a 

 straight embryo. 



Anomalies. 



Essential Character. — Flowers, dicecioup. Calyx of the staminiferous flowers divided 

 into several pieces ; of the pistilliferous, superior, toothed. Stamens several ; anthers 2-ce\\ed 

 membranous, linear, bursting longitudinally. Ovarium 1-ccllcd, with polyspermous parietal 

 placenta; ; stigmas equal in number to the placenta?, recurved. Fruit capsular, opening" at 

 the vertex, 1-ccllcd, with polyspermous parietal placenta;. Seeds enveloped in a membranous 

 finely reticulated integument ; embryo straight, without albumen, its radicle turned towards 

 the hilum. — Herbaceous branched plants. Leaves alternate, cut, compound, without stipulie. 

 Flowers in axillary racemes. 



Affinities. Mr. Brown is of opinion that this order differs widely from 

 Reseda ; but it strikes me that there is no group of plants to which it bears 

 a greater affinity, if the flowers of Reseda are considered apetalous, which Mr. 

 Brown, however, does not admit. Their habit is very similar. The structure 

 of the fruit is absolutely the same, except that the calyx of one is superior, and 

 of the other inferior ; both are destitute of albumen ; their anthers are also es- 

 sentially alike. I consider Datisceaj a connecting link between Resedacea^ and 

 Urticere. 



Geography. The very few species of which this order consists are scat- 

 tered over North America, Siberia, northern India, the Indian archipelago, and 

 the southeastern corner of Europe. 



Properties. Datisca is bitter. 



Examples. Datisca, Tetrameles. 



XCI. EMPETREyE. The Crowberry Tribe. 



Empetre.e, Nutt. Gen. 2.233.; Don in Edinb. New Phil. Journ. (1826); Lindley's Synop 



sis, 224. (1829.) 



Diagnosis. Apetalous dicotyledons, with definite ascending ovules, infe- 

 rior distinct imbricated sepals, distinct stamens, and an embryo in the axis of 

 fleshy albumen. 



Anomalies. 



Essentia!. Character. — Mowers dioecious. Sepals hypogynous imbricated scales. Sta- 

 mens equal in number to the sepals, and alternate with them ; anthers roundish, 2-celled, the 

 cells distinct, bursting longitudinally. Ovarium superior, seated in a fleshy disk, 3- 6- or 

 9-celled; ovules solitary, ascending; style 1 ; stigma radiating, the number of its rays corres- 

 ponding with the cells of the ovarium. Fruit fleshy, seated in the persistent calyx, 3-6- or 

 9-celled ; the coating of the cells bony. Seeds solitary, ascending; embryo taper, in the axis of 

 fleshy watery albumen ; radicle inferior. — Small acrid shrubs with heath-like evergreen leaves 

 without stipukc ; and minute flowers in their axilla;. 



Affinities. Although the institution of this order is attributable to Mr. 

 Nuttall, the final determination and characterizing it is due to the exactness of 

 Mr. Don, who has made numerous remarks upon it in the work above quoted. 

 According to this gentleman, the order holds a kind of intermediate place be- 

 tween Euphorbiacese and Celastrinea?, agreeing in habit with the former, espe- 



