CHAP. I.] TROPiEOLACE^. 337 



ORDER LI*— LIMNANTHE^. 



This little order contains only one plant, Lim- 

 nanthes Douglassi, a pretty Californian annual, 

 with yellow and white flowers. It resembles 

 Geraniacese in its botanical construction, but it 

 does not discharge its seeds with elasticity. 



ORDER LI.— TROP^OLACE^.—THE NASTURTIUM 

 TRIBE. 



The well-known flowers called Nasturtium, or 

 Indian Cress, give their name to this order ; 

 which, in fact, consists only of the genus Tro- 

 pasolum, and an obscure genus not yet intro- 

 duced. In the flowers of the Nasturtium, the 

 calyx and corolla are of nearly the same colour, 

 but they may be easily distinguished from each 

 other. The calyx is drawn out into a spur 

 behind, and the petals, which are unguiculate, or 

 claw-shaped, are fringed at the base. The 

 leaves and stem are succulent, and have the 

 taste of cress, and hence the plant has received 

 its popular name, — Nasturtium being the botanic 

 name of the water-cress. The Tropseoluni has 

 five petals, eight stamens, and three carpels, 

 which are joined together into a trigonal fruit, 

 each carpel containing one seed, which adheres 

 to it. The embryo is large, and fills the w^hole 



