POLYGONEyE. PIIYTOLACCEyE. M'CTAGLVE.E. 293 



at the base. Sti(/ma/> entire, ^'ut triangular or flattened, inclosed in the persistent 

 perianth. Flowers small, pale green or red with 'n-hite edges, clustered, or rarely 

 solitarv in the axils of the npper leaves, or in little clusters, within a slicathing bract, 

 and collected in terminal spikes, heads or panicles. 



P. FLACCiDOt, Roxb. (K.). irarsh behind Katjui, Katchall. 



P. lOJiKXTosuM, Willd. (M.). All tropical Asia. 



P. PLEiiKim, Rr. 



P. lierniarinidc'i, Do Can. 



P. Miquellanum, cjfmum, Roxburyhii, ilUcelroidcK, CUjfortioidcs, Perrottetii and 

 ciUosum, Meisn. (Beutham). 



* Flowers in terminal sjiikes. Stems erect, ascending or climhing. 

 f Stipules sheathing, wholly scarioits, truncate or ciliate. 



P. BARHATU5I, L. (M.). 



stems and peduncles glabrous. Sheathing stipules hairy, with long bristles at 

 the top. Styles 2. 



P. flLAiutrsr, Willd. (11.). 



Spike slender, continuous. Perianth not dotted. Stipules not ciliate. Styles 'i. 



f f Stipules green and spreading, at least at the top. 

 P. PEltFOLIATrjI, L. (P.). 



A glabrous, prickly climber. Stipules spreading from the base. Leaves tri- 

 angular. Styles 2. 



** Flowers in little heads, in diehotomous panicles. Stems erect or climling. 



P. CnixENSK, L. 



A weak half-climbing herb. Styles 3. 



Order PHYTOLACCEiE. 



Perianth green or jietaloid, tube sliort or none. Stamens hypogynous or neaily 

 so. Ocarg of several free or connate 1-ovuled carpels. Finhrijo usually curved or 

 coiled. Albumen floury or none. Herbs, shrubs or trees. Leaves usually alternate, 

 stipulate or not. 



GisEKiA, Linnaus. 



G. PHAJISACEOIDES, L. (il.). 



Order NYCTAGINE.E. 



Perianth simple, inferior, the lower portion persistent, and inclosing the ovary 

 and fruit, the npjxH- ]iortion variously shaped with o, rarely 4, angles, folds, teeth or 

 lobes, deciduous or withering. Stamens -4 or 5, or fewer, or rarely more (up to 20), 

 inserted on, or united at the base with a narrow or cup-shaped disk, more or less 

 adnate to the stalk of the ovary. Filaments slender, often oxserted. Anthers 2-celled, 

 the cell attached back to back, and opening longitudinally round the outer margin. 

 Ovarg shortly stalked, 1 -celled, with a solitary erect ovule. Style terminal, simple. 

 Fruit 1 -seeded, inclosed in the persistent tough or hardened base of the pericarp- 

 like perianth, the real pericar]) thin ancl membranous, more or less adherent to the 

 thin testa of the seed. Fmbryo curved transversely, folded, or longitudinally con- 

 volute around or within a mealy albumen, liadiclc inferior. Herbs, shrubs or trees, 

 witli often thickened-jointed branches. Leaves usuallj- opposite, rarely alternate, 

 sim])lo. Flowers solitary, or in clusters or umbels, the bracts sometimes forming 

 a coloured involucre, or small and deciduous. 



