150 



lopes the seeds, and which is slightly purgative and stomachic. Farmers use 

 it to. stain their cheeses, and dyers for a reddish colour. The bark of Ludia is 

 said to be emetic : but it is uncertain whether that genus does not belong to 

 Homalinese. 

 Examples. Bixa, Prockia. 



CXXXVI. SARRACENIEiE. 



Sarbacenie.e, Turpin in Diet, des Sc. c. ie. ( ? ) ; Dc la Pylaie in Ann. Linn. Par. 6. 388 t 

 13. (1827) ; Hooker Ft. Boreal. Am. p. 33. (1829.) 



Diagnosis. Polypetalous dicotyledons, with hypogynous indefinite distinct 

 stamens, concrete carpella, an ovarium of several cells with the placentae in the 

 axis, a regular calyx with imbricate aestivation, and a peltate petaloid persistent 

 stigma. 



Anomalies. 



Essential Character. — Sepals 5, persistent, often having 1 a 3-leaved involucrum on the 

 outside ; (Estivation imbricate. Petals 5, hypogynous ; unguiculate, concave. Stamens inde- 

 finite, hypogynous ; anthers oblong, adnate, 2-celled, bursting internally and longitudinally. 

 Ovarium superior, 5-celled, with polyspermous placentae in the axis; style single; stigma 

 much dilated, peltate, with 5 angles. Capsule crowned by the persistent stigma, with 5 cells 

 and 51oculicidal valves. Seeds very numerous, minute, slightly warted, covering 5 large pla- 

 centa, which project from the axis into the cavity of the cells ; albumen abundant ; embryo 

 cylindrical, lying near the base of the seed, with the radicle turned to the hilum. — Herbaceous 

 perennial plants, living in bogs. Roots fibrous. Leaves radical, with a hollow urn-shaped 

 petiole, at the apex of which is articulated the lamina, which covers the petiole like a lid. 

 Scapes each having one large flower, of a more or less herbaceous colour. 



Affinities. These are not well made out. It is usual to refer Sarracenia 

 to the vicinity of Papaveraceae, on account of its remarkably dilated stig- 

 ma, which is compared to the radiant stigma of Papaver, its indefinite stamens 

 and small embryo lying at the base of copious albumen ; and there can be no 

 doubt that these points of resemblance are important. But I believe it is also 

 akin to Droseraceae, or at least to that order, whatever it may be, which shall 

 finally comprehend Dionaea. With this genus no one has suspected the analo- 

 gy of Sarracenia ; a circumstance which has arisen, I presume, chiefly from 

 attention having been turned to the fructification rather than the vegetation of 

 those genera. If we compare the foliage of Dionsea with that of Sarracenia, 

 we shall find that the pitcher of the latter is represented by the dilated foot- 

 stalk of the former, which only requires its margins to cohere to be identical 

 with it, and that the lid of the pitcher of the latter is analogous to the irritable 

 lamina of the former. In both genera the staAens are hypogynous ; both have 

 a single stigma, which in Sarracenia is petaloid, in Dionaea is merely fringed ; 

 both have an embryo lying at the base of copious albumen, and both have po- 

 lyspermous placentae. In the internal arrangement of the fruit the two gene- 

 ra are dissimilar ; but the differences depend upon peculiar modifications of 

 structure, which cannot be considered to affect affinities otherwise so strongly 

 indicated. In the remarkable structure of the leaves this order agrees with 

 Nepenthe*, which are probably not so distantly related as they are usually 

 supposed to be, and also with a single genus of Rosacea? (Cephalotus). 



Geography. They are exclusively confined to the bogs of North America. 



Properties. Unknown. 



Example. Sarracenia 



