CAPPARIDACE^. (CAPER FAMILY.) 31 



1. C. raaritima, Scop, var. sequalis. Smooth; stem much tranched, 

 prostrate ; leaves oblong, irregularly toothed orpinnatifid, narrowed intc a petiole 

 as long as the limb ; flowering racemes short and corjmb-like, fruitting ones 

 elongated ; petals wedge-obovate, emarginate ; mature silicle linear, 8-ribbed, 

 the upper joint ovate-lanceolate, slightly compressed, beak-pointed, one third 

 longer than the cylindrical lower one ; cotyledons linear, 3-anglcd. (C. re(iua- 

 lis, L'Her.) — Drifting sands along the coast. May -August. — Stems l°-2^ 

 long. Flowers pale purple. 



Order 13. CAPPARIDACE7E. (Caper Family.) 



Herbs, shrubs, or trees, with acrid watery juice, alternate, simple or 

 palmately-eompound Jeaves, and regular liyixjgynous flowers. Stipules 

 spiny or wanting. — Sepals 4, imbricated or valvate in the bud. Petals 

 4, mostly clawed. Stamens G or numerous. Ovary 1-celled ; ovules am- 

 phitropous or eampylotropous, attached to the two parietal placentae. 

 Fruit silique-like, and 2-valved or indebiscent. Seeds reniform, without 

 albumen. Embryo curved. 



Synopsis. 



* Calyx 4sepalous — Herbs. 



1. POLANISIA. Stamens S 32, free. Torus short. Style filiform. 



2. CLEOME. Stamens 6, free. Torus short. Stigma se.sfile. 



3. GYNANDR0PSI3. Stamen.s 6. Filaments partly united with the stipe of the ovary. 



» » Calyx 4parted. — Shrubs. 



4. CAPPARIS. Stamens numerous, free. Leaves entire. 



1. POLANISIA, Raf. 



Petals clawed. Stamens 8-32 : filaments free, unequal, filiform. Torus 

 short, bearing a trimcated or emarginate gland on the upper side. Ovary sessile 

 or short-stipitate. Style filiform. Capsule silir[ue-like, many-seeded. — Aniui:il 

 clammy herbs, Avith palmately trifoliolate petioled leaves, and racemose flowers. 



1. P. tenuifolia, Torr. & Gray. Stem slender, erect, branching; leaflets 

 filiform, longer than the petiole ; petals oval, entire, short-clawed, unequal ; sta- 

 mens 12-15; capsule linear, smooth, short-stipitate, pointed with the persistent 

 style ; seeds minute, circular. — Georgia {Le Conte) and South Florida (Blodgetl). 

 — Stem 10-2° high. Flowers white. 



2. CLEOME, L. 



Petals long-clawed, nearly equal, entire. Stamens 6. Filaments filiform, 

 elongated, 1-3 often shorter, rarely all abbreviated. Torus short, hemispherical. 

 Stigma sessile. Capsule silique-like, stipitate or almost sessile, many-seeded. — 

 Herbs with palmately 3 - 7-foliolate leaves, and bracted racemose flowers. Stip- 

 ules, when present, spiny. 



