420 AMARANTHACE^. [part ii. 



ORDER CLII.— NYCTAGINE^. 

 The Marvel of Peru {Mirahilis Jalapa), and 

 the other species of that genus, are the only 

 ornamental plants belonging to this order. 

 The flowers consist of a coloured calyx, sur- 

 rounded by a five- toothed involucre, which 

 greatly resembles a calyx. The true calyx is 

 funnel-shaped, with a spreading limb, the lobes 

 of which are plaited, and notched at the mar- 

 gin ; and which, with the tubular part, form at 

 the base a globular swelling, which incloses the 

 ovary. The stamens grow from beneath the 

 pistil, adhering together at the base, so as to 

 form a kind of cup. The ovary contains only 

 one seed ; and the style is long and slender, 

 terminating in a capitate stigma, divided into a 

 number of tubercles or warts. The lower part 

 of the calyx remains on the ripe fruit, harden- 

 ing into a kind of shell. 



ORDER CLIII.— AMARANTHACE.E. 



The flowers of the plants belonging to this 

 order are either in spikes, like Love-Hes-bleeding 

 {Amarantus caudatus), in heads like the Globe 

 Amaranth {Gomphrena glohosa)^ or in a singular 

 crest -like shape, like the Cock's-comb {Celosia 

 cristata). In all, the flowers have no corolla. 



