170 



Humboldt and Bo npl. A". Gen. el Sp. 1. 3. ; the latter being unquestionably 

 wrong in considering the sac a portion of the embryo. This order is one of 

 those which tend to destroy the distinction between Monocotyledons and Dico- 

 tyledons. Its affinity with Fluviales is indicated by the floating habit and 

 general appearance of Aponogeton, and with Typhineee by its anthers ; but its 

 foliage and supulse are those of Dicotyledons, and the structure of the seed and 

 the position of the embryo in a fleshy sac demonstrate its vicinity to Pipera- 

 cese. [Saururus, though always growing in water, is by no means a floating 

 plant.] 



Geography. Natives of North America, China, the north of India, and 

 the Cape of Good Hope, growing in marshes or pools of water. 



Properties. Unknown. 



Example. Saurums, Aponogeton. 



CLX. CHLORANTHEiE. 



Chloranthe.s;, R. Brown in Bot. Mag. 2190. (1821) ; Lindl. Collect. Bot. 17. (1821); Meyer de 

 lloutluynia clique Saururcis, 51. (1827) ; Blume Mora Java, (1829.) 



Diagnosis. Achlamydeous herbaceous dicotyledons, with a 1-celled ova- 

 rium, a pendulous ovulum, opposite leaves, spiked flowers, and an embryo not 

 enclosed in a sac. 



Anomalies. 



Essential Character. — Flowers naked, spiked, monoclinous, or diclinous, with a support- 

 ing scale. Stamens lateral ; if more than 1, connate, definite; anthers 1-celled, bursting lon- 

 gitudinally, each adnate to a fleshy connectivum, which coheres laterally in various degrees 

 (2-celled, according to some) ; filaments slightly adhering to the ovarium. Ovarium 1-celled ; 

 stigma simple, sessile •- ovule pendulous. Fruit drupaceous, indehiscent. Seed pendulous ; 

 embryo minute, placed at the apex of fleshy albumen, with the radicle inferior, and consequent- 

 ly remote from the hilum ; cotyledons divaricate. — Herbaceous plants or undcr-shrubs, with an 

 aromatic taste. Steins jointed, tumid under the articulations. Leaves opposite, simple, with 

 sheathing petioles and minute intervening stipulce. Flowers in terminal spikes. 



Affinities. Nearly allied to Saururere and Piperaceae, from both which 

 they differ in the want of a sac to the embryo, and in the pendulous ovule, 

 and opposite leaves with intermediate stipulre. Their anthers consist of a 

 fleshy mass, upon the face of which the cell lies that bears the pollen : 

 whether these anthers are 1- or 2-cclled, is a matter of doubt ; one botanist 

 considering those which have 2 cells to be double anthers, another understand- 

 ing those with 1 cell to be half anthers. Dr. Bluine describes a calyx as 

 being sometimes present in a rudimentary state, adhering to the ovarium, and 

 hence he suspects some affinity between these plants and Opercularineaj. But 

 I am persuaded that no such rudiment exists ; it is not represented in Dr. 

 Blume's figures. 



Geography. Natives of the hot parts of India and South America, the 

 West Indies, and Society Islands. 



Properties. The whole plant of Chi. officinalis has an aromatic fragrant 

 smell, which is gradually dissipated in drying ; but its roots retain a fragrant 

 camphorated smell, and an aromatic, somewhat bitter, flavour. They are 

 found to possess very nearly the properties of Aristolochia serpentaria, and in 

 as high a degree. There seems to be no doubt that it is a stimulant of the 

 highest order. See Blume Fl. Jav. 



Examples. Chloranthus, Ascarina, Hcdyosrnum. 



