142 



CXXIX. POLYGALEiE. The Milkwort Tiube. 



Polygaleje, Juaa. Ann. Mus. 14. 586. (1809); Mem. Mus. 1. 385. (1815); Dec. Prodr. 1. 321. 

 (1824); hindl. Synops. 39. (1829); Aug. de St. Hilaire and Moquin-Tandon Mem. Mus. 

 17.313.(1829.) 



Diagnosis. Polypetalous dicotyledons, with definite hypogynous stamens 

 in one parcel, concrete carpella, an ovarium of 2 cells with the placentae in the 

 axis, an imbricated calyx, unsymmetrical flowers, definite pendulous ovules, 

 and dehiscent fruit. 



Anomalies. Sepals 4, and all petaloid in some Kramerias. Flowers ge- 

 nerally monopetalous. Ovarium sometimes 1-celled by abortion. Fruit inde- 

 hiscent in Mundia, Monnina, Securidaca, and Krameria. The latter has also 

 no albumen. Stamens distinct in Krameria. 



Essential Character. — Sepals 5, very irregular, distinct, often glumaceous ; 3 exterior, 

 of which 1 is superior and 2 anterior ; 2 interior (the wings) usually petaloid, and alternate 

 with the upper and lower ones. Petals hypogynous, usually 3, of which 1 is anterior and larger 

 than the rest, (the keel,) and 2 alternate with the upper outer, and latteral inner sepals, and 

 olten connate with the keel ; sometimes 5, and then the 2 additional ones minute and between 

 the wings and the lower sepals. Keel sometimes entire, and then either naked or crested; some- 

 times 3-lobed, and then destitute of a crest. Stamens hypogynous, 8, usually combined in a 

 tube, unequal, and ascending ; sometimes 4, and distinct ; the tube split opposite the upper 

 sepal ; anthers clavate, innate, mostly 1-celled and opening at their apex, sometimes 2-celled ; 

 very rarely the dehiscence is longitudinal. Disk either absent or present, regular or irregular. 

 Ovarium superior, compressed, with 2 cells, which are anterior and posterior, the upper one 

 occasionally suppressed ; ovules solitary, very rarely twin, pendulous; style simple, curved, 

 sometimes very oblique and cucullate at the apex, which is also entire or lobed ; stigma simple. 

 Fruit usually opening through the valves ; occasionally indchiscent, membranous, fleshy, co- 

 riaceous, or drupaceous, winged or apterous. Seeds pendulous, with a caruncula next the 

 hilum, naked or enveloped with hairs; the outer integument crustaceous, the inner membra- 

 nous ; albumen abundant, fleshy, rarely reduced to a thin gelatinous plate, very seldom want- 

 ing; embryo straight, or slightly curved, with the radicle next the hilum. — Shrubs or herba- 

 ceous plants. Leaves generally alternate, sometimes opposite, mostly simple, and always des- 

 titute of stipules. Flowers usually racemose, very often small and inconspicuous, but showy 

 in many Polygalas. Pedicels with 3 bractere. 



Affinities. The structure of this order has been admirably explained by 

 Messrs. Aug. de St. Hilaire and Moquin-Tandon, from whose memoir above 

 quoted, the foregoing character and almost all that is said here is extracted, 

 and to which I refer those readers who wish to study the subject more inti- 

 mately. Before adverting to the affinities of this order, it will be useful to con- 

 sider what is the nature of the irregularity of the flowers ; an irregularity 

 which is such as to obscure, in a great measure, the relative position of the 

 sepals and petals. The calyx apparently consists of but three pieces, which 

 are usually green, and like sepals in their common state ; but their real num- 

 ber is 5, the two coloured lateral petal-like bodies, sometimes lying within the 

 apparent sepals, being in reabty part of the series of the calyx. The corolla 

 is mostly monopetalous, and, if carefully examined, formed of 3 pieces ; namely 

 the keel and two petals, all soldered together. We have, therefore, an abor- 

 tion of two petals, according to the laws of alternation : but this is not all ; 

 there is not only an abortion of two petals, but of those two which would, if 

 present, be found right and left of the keel. The monopetalous corolla is, 

 therefore, formed by the cohesion of the two posterior and the one anterior petal 

 of a pentapetalous corolla, of which the two lateral petals are suppressed. The 

 keel has an appendage of an anomalous character, called technically a crest, 

 and often consisting of one or even two rows of fringes or divisions, originating 

 not from the margin but from within it, and sometimes cohering in a common 

 membrane at their base. M. de St. Hilaire has satisfactorily shown that this 

 crest is nothing more than the deeply-lobcd middle segment of a keel, with these 



