340 



FRANKENIACE^. 



[HVPOGYNOUS EXOGENS. 



Order CXVII. FRANKENIACE^.— Frankexniads. 



Frankeniaceee. Ang. de St. Hilaire, Mt>m. Plac. Cenir. 39. (1815) ; DC. Prodr. 1. 349; Fndl. Gen. cxcii.; 



Meismr, Gen. 22. 



Diagnosis. — Violal Exogens, with polypetalovs flowers, a tubular furrowed calyx, and 

 hypogynous unguiculate petals. 

 Herbaceous plants or under-slu'ubs. Stems very much branched. Leaves opposite, 



exstipulate, \ai\\ a membranous sheathmg base ; 

 often revolute at the edge. Flowers sessile in the 

 diA-isions of the branches, and terminal, embosomed 

 in leaves, usually pink. Sepals 4-5, united in a 

 furrowed tube, persistent, equal. Petals alternate 

 with the sepals, hj-pogjTious, unguiculate, often 

 with appendages at the base of the limb. Stamens 

 hypogynous, either equal m number to the petals, 

 and alternate with them, or ha^^ng a tendency to 

 double the number ; anthers roimdish, versatile, 

 opening longitudinally. Ovary superior ; style 

 filiform, 2- 3- or 4-fid ; o\ades 00, anatropal, at- 

 tached to parietal placentae, and visually arismg from 

 long stalks. Capsule 1 -celled, inclosed in the calyx, 

 2- 3- or 4-valved, many-seeded. Seeds very mi- 

 nute ; embryo straight, erect, in the midst of albu- 

 men (di^dded into two plates, Gcertn. fil.) with a 

 very short inferior radicle. 



Allied on the one hand to Cloveworts, from which 

 they are distinguished by their different placenta- 

 tion, and by the form of their embryo ; and on the 

 other to Violetworts, which differ in haAing a locu- 

 hcidal, not septicidal, dehiscence. Their great 

 featm'e is the presence of a long furrowed calyx, 

 AA-ithin which the petals are inserted below the 

 ovary, by means of long stalks. The petals, more- 

 over, have generally a scaly appendage. Worms- 

 kioldia is a very anomalous plant. It seems more 

 nearly allied to this than any other Order, and cannot possibly belong to Droseracese, 

 in which it is placed by Acliille Richard provisionally. It seems to indicate a relation 

 between Frankeniads, on the one hand with JNIormgads, and on the other with Cappa- 

 rids. The neax-est approach to the tubular calyx of Frankeniads is to be foimd in Crown- 

 worts (Malesherbiacese). 



This Order is chiefly found in the north of Africa and south of Europe. Two species 

 are natives of the Cape of Good Hope, one of South America, four of New Holland, and 

 three of temperate Asia. None have been found in tropical India or North America. 



Endhcher says that Frankeniads are mucilaginous and shghtly aromatic. The leaves 

 of Beatsonia portulacifoUa are used in St. Helena as tea. 



Fig. CCXXXIII. 



GENERA. 



Frankenia, Linn. 

 Nothria, Berg. 

 Franca, Michel. 



Roxh. 

 I Anisadenia, Wall. 



I Wormskioldia, Thonn. 

 Tricliceras, DC. 



Schumacheria, Spr. 

 Slrcptopetalum, Hocht. 



Numbers. Gen. 4. Sp. 24. 



Caryophyllacece. 

 Position. — Violaceae. — Frankeniace^. — Sauvagesiacese. 



Fig. CCXXXIII.— Frankenia ericifolia.— TFc6&. 

 lar section of the ovary ; 4. a section of a seed. 



1. a flower ; 2. its stamens, &c. ; 3. a perpendicu- 



