374 rnvTOLACCACE^. (pokeweed family.) 



anthcr-cclls distinct. Style mostly lateral : stigma many-cleft. Fruit terete or 

 ribbed, smooth or glandular. Embryo straight. Cotyledons folded around the 

 albumen. — Trees or shrubs, with opposite or alternate leaves, and mostly rosc- 

 colorcd flowers in corymbose cymes. t 



1. P. aculeata, L. Spiny; stem smooth; brandies widely spreading; 

 leaves alternate, short-pctioled, ovate or elli])iical, acute or ol)tuse, smooth ; 

 cymes terminal, pcduneled, pubescent, many-flowered ; calyx of the sterile 

 flower 10-toothcd; stamens?; fruit club-shaped, 10-striate, and beset with 5 

 rows of shining viscid glands. — South Florida. — Shrub 5° liigh ; the spines 

 short and recurved. Leaves 1' - 2' long. 



2. P. obtusata, Swartz. Smooth, spineless ; leaves oblong, rounded at 

 the apex, tapering at the base, short-petioled, revolute on the margins, rigid ; 

 cymes long-jjcduncled, many-flowered, the branches horizontal ; fertile calyx 

 5-cleft, with the lobes narrow and acute ; stamens 7 ; fruit oblong, many-fur- 

 rowed, glandless ; capsule truncate. — South Florida. — Leaves opposite,' l'-2' 

 long, light brown beneath. Flowers 1"- 2" long. 



Ordek 107. PIIYTOLACCACEiE. (Pokeaveed Family.) 



Herbs or shrubs, with alternate entire leaves, and apetaloiis 3-bracted 

 raccmed or spiked flowers. — Calyx composed of 4 - .5 nearly ecpial sepals, 

 more or less united at the base, unehanged in fruit. Stamens Inpogynous, 

 as many as the sepals and alternate with them, or numerous, free, or 

 united at the base ; sterile ones none : anthers 2-cellcd, introrse. Ovary 

 simple or compound. Ovules amj)hitropous or campylotropous, solitary, 

 erect. Styles as many as the ovaries. Fruit of 1 -many earjtels. Albu- 

 men eopious or none. Embryo annular, rarely straight, lladicle inferior. 



Synopsis. 



SuBOROEH I. PETIVERlEiE. Fruit .simple. Cotyledons convolute. 

 Leaves stipulate. 



1. PETIVEltlA. Fruit an achcnium wiih rcfle.ved spines at the apex. Embryo straight in 



fciinty albumen. 



2. RIVINA. Fruit a berry. Embryo forming a ring around the albumen. 



SunouDER II. PIIYTOLACCE.E. Fruit compound. Cotyledons 

 flat. Leaves exstipulatc. 



8. PUYTOLACt^A. Fruit a berry, eomposcd of numerous carpels arranged in a circle. 



1. PETIVERIA, Plum. 



Calyx 3-bractcd, 4-parted, herbaceous. Stamens 4-8: anthers linear. 

 Ovary Bimi)le, 1 -celled. Ovule single, erect, amphitropous. Stigma niany- 

 clefL Achcnium wedge-shaped, compressed, 2-lobe(l at the a])ex, each Iob« 



