362 LOASE^. [part ii. 



anthers, which are called the rays. There are 

 five petals and five sepals ; but some botanists 

 consider the whole to be sepals, and that the 

 petals are wanting. The fruit of some of the 

 species is eatable. It is about the size of a 

 large egg, and contains numerous seeds, which 

 are enveloped in a kind of pulp. 



ORDER LXXXVI.*— MALESHERBIACEjE. 



This order consists entirely of the plants be- 

 longing to the genus Malesherbia ; which are 

 mostly annuals, or biennials, with very showy 

 blue or white flowers, introduced from Chili in 

 1832. The genus was formerly included in 

 Passifloracese. 



ORDER LXXXYII.— LOASEiE. 



All the species contained in this genus are 

 natives of North America, and most of them 

 are annuals, with very showy flowers. The 

 genera Loasa and Caiophora are covered with 

 glandular hairs or bristles, which sting much 

 worse than those of the nettle. Bartonia aurea 

 is one of the most splendid annuals in culti- 

 vation, from its golden yellow flowers ; Blumen- 

 hachia has the fruit roundish and spirally twisted, 

 and Caiophora has the fruit horn-shaped, and 



