ViOLALES.] 



TURNERACEiE. 



347 



Order CXXI. TURNERACE^.— Turnerads. 



Loaseae, § of Turneraces, Kunth, N. G. et. Sp. 6. 123. (1823).— Tumeraceae, DC. Prodr. 3. 345. ; Endl. 

 Gen. cxciii. ; Meisner, p. 123. 



Diagnosis.— F/o/aZ Exor/ens, with j'iohjj^etalous floivers, perigynous contorted petals, forked 

 styles and exstipidate leaves. 

 Herbaceous plants, having sometimes a tendency to become slirubby, mth a simple 

 or occasionally stellate pubescence. Leaves alternate, without stipules, most commonly 

 with 2 glands on the petiole. Flowers axillary, their pedicel either distinct or cohermg 

 with the petiole ; with 2 bractlets. Petals yellowish, rarely blue. 

 Calyx inferior, often coloured, with 5 equal lobes, imbricated in 

 sestivation, Imed by a very thin plate. Petals 5, inserted into 

 the tube of the calyx, equal, with a twisted sestivation. Stamens 

 5, inserted into the tube of the calyx below the petals, with 

 which they are alternate ; filaments distinct ; anthers oblong, 

 erect, 2-celled. Ovary superior, 1 -celled, with 3 parietal pla- 

 centae ; o\ailes 00, anatropal ; styles 3, cohering more or less, 

 and simple, spht, branched or multifid at the apex. Capsule 

 3-valved, 1 -celled, opening from the point about as far as the 

 ^=^5:0^ "TT^s^ middle, the valves beaiing the placentae in their median line. 

 \\ ^>^^^^^^ Seeds with a thin membranous strophiole on one side, crustaceous, 

 W IV /I . reticulated ; embryo slightly cm-ved, in the middle of fleshy 

 albumen ; radicle tm-ned towards the hilvmi ; cotyledons 

 somewhat plano-convex, acquirmg the textm-e of leaves when 

 germinating. 



The Uttle herbaceous plants forming 

 this Order were oddly placed by De 

 Candolle between Loasads and his 

 Fouquieracese, the former a group of 

 plants with an inferior ovary, and the 

 latter an imaginary Order, one of 

 whose two genera seems to be a Cantua. 

 Others station it in the vicinity of 

 Rock Roses, from which it differs 

 in the calyx, in the uisertion of the 

 stamens, and in the approximation 

 of the radicle to the liilum, agi'eeing with them m habit. With Mallowworts the Order 

 corresponds in the twisted sestivation of the corolla, and in habit. But with Passion- 

 worts and Loasads there is most m common : the presence of glands upon the ends of 

 the petioles of Tmnerads is a confirmation of theu* affinity to the former. They are 

 distinguished from Loasads by then" fruit being superior, and by their definite stamens ; 

 the former character is, however, weakened by the nearly superior fruit of some Loa- 

 sads. The hj-pogjaious petals of Frankeuiads sufficiently distiuguish that Order, to say 

 nothmg of their unguiculate petals. The forked styles of Tm'nerads are very pecuhar. 

 Natives exclusively of the West Indies and South America. There seems no 

 good reason for supposing Turnera trioniflora to be a native of Japan, as has been 

 asserted. 



The herbage of some of them is rather aromatic, 

 is employed in Brazil against dyspepsia. — Martins. 

 a tonic and expectorant. 



GENERA. 



CCXXXIX. 



Turnera opifera is astringent, and 

 Turnera ulmifolia is considered 



Turnera, Plum. 

 Pumilea, P. Br. 

 Bohadschia, Presl. 



Piriqueta, Aubl. 

 Burghartia, Neck. 

 Burkardia, Scop. 



Numbers. Gen. 2. Sp. 60. 



Loasacece. 

 Position. — Frankeniacese. — Turnerace.e. — Malesherbiacese. 

 CistacecB. 



Fig. CCXXXIX.— Turnera genistoides.— /S<. Hil, 1. a flower cut open ; 2. a section of the ovary ; 

 3. a seed : 4. a section of it. 



