SiLENALES.] 



ILLECEBRACE^. 



499 



Order CLXXXIX. ILLECEBRACEtE.— Knotworts. 



Hemiariae, Cat. Hort. Par. (1777).— Illecebrese, R. Brown Prodromus, 413. (1810).— Paronychiese, Atig. 

 St. mi. Mem. Plac. lib. p. 56. (1815) ; Juss. Mem. Mus. 1. 387. (1815) ; DC. Prodr. 3. 365. (1828); 

 M^moire stir les Paronych. (1829) ; Bartl. Ord. Nat. p. 301. (1830).— Paronychiaces, Meim. Gen. 

 132 ; Wight Illustr. 2. 42. 



Diagnosis, — Silenal Exogens, with both calyx and corolla present and symmietncal, htU 

 the latter rudimentary, amphitropal ovules and scarious stipules. 



Herbaceous or half-stirubby brandling plants, \vith opposite or alternate, often fascicled, 

 sessile, entire leaves, and scarious stipules. Flowers minute, with scainous bracts. 

 Sepals 5, seldom 3 or 4, sometimes distinct, sometimes 

 cohering more or less. Petals minute, inserted upon the 

 calyx between the lobes, occasionally wanting. Stamens 

 exactly opposite the sepals, if equal to them in number, 

 sometimes fewer by abortion, sometimes more numerous ; 

 filaments distinct ; anthers 2-celled. Ovary 1 -celled, rarely 

 3-celled, with 1 or more ovules, superior ; styles 2-5, either 

 distmct or partially combined. Fruit small, dry, 1 -celled, 

 rarely 3-celled, either indeliiscent or opening with 3 valves. 

 Seeds either numerous, upon a free central placenta, or 

 soUtary and pendulous from a funiculus originating in the 

 base of the cavity of the finiit ; albumen farinaceous ; em- 

 bryo lying on one side of the albumen, cm'ved moi'e or less, 

 with, the radicle always pointmg to the hilum ; cotyledons 

 small. 



Very near Purslanes, Amaranths, and Cloveworts, from 

 which they are distinguished with difficulty. From the lat- 

 ter their scarious stipules will separate them ; and there 

 is scarcely any other character that will; for no value 

 seems assignable to a slight tendency to a perigynous 

 insertion of the stamens which is observable in both 

 Orders. From Pm'slanes they are best known by the 

 position of the stamens before the sepals uistead of the 

 petals, and by the munber of the sepals. With Houseleeks, 

 particularly Tillaea, they often agree in habit, but their 

 concrete carpels wiU always distinguish them. According 

 to Cambess6des, the genus Spergularia, in which the petals 

 and stamens are very often perigjTious, the styles sometimes 

 consolidated at theu' base, and the stamens 5 in number, 

 estabhshes a passage between Cloveworts and Knotworts, and tends to confirm the 

 opinion of those who consider these two Orders as belonging to the same Alliance. 



The south of Europe and the north of Africa are the great stations of the Order, 

 where the species grow in the most barren places, covering with a thick vegetation soil 

 which is incapable of bearing anything else. A few are found at the Cape of Good 

 Hope ; and North America, including Mexico, comprehends several. 



A trace of astrmgency pervades the Order, and is the only sensible property that it is 

 known to possess. 



GENERA. 



Fig. CCCXLII. 



Corrigiola, Linn. 



Polygonifolia, Vaill. 

 Heniiaria, Toumef. 

 lUecebrum, Gdrtn. f. 

 Cardionema, DC. 



Bii'oncea, M09. et Sess. 

 Pentaca?na, Bartl. 



Acanthonychia, D . 

 Paronychia, Juss. 



Anychia, L. C. Rich. 

 Gymnocarpus, Forsk. 

 ? Winterlia, Spreng. 



Sellowia, Roth 

 ? Lithophila, Swartz. 

 Pteranthus, Forsk. 



Louichea, Herit. 

 Cometes, Burm. 



Saltia, R. Br. 

 PoUichia, Soland. 



Neckeria, Gmel. 



Meerburgia, Monch. 

 Telephium, Toumef. 

 LceMingia, Linn. 



Cerdia, Mo^. et Sess. 

 Polycarpon, Lijffl. 



Trichlis, Hall. 

 Arversia, Cambess. 



HapalosiajVi'ight et A, 

 Ortegia, Lqftl. 



Ortega, DC. 



Juncaria, Clus. 

 Stipulicida, L. C. Rich. 

 Polycarpaea, Lam. 



Hagea, Vent. 



Mollia, Willd. 



Lahaya, Rom. et Schlt. 



Hyala, Herit. 

 Aylmeria, Mart. 

 Spergularia, Pers. 



Lepigonum, Fries. 



Stipidaria, Haw. 



Delila, Dumort. 



Balardia, Cambess. 

 Spergula, Liitn. 

 Drymaria, Willd. 



POSITION.- 



NuMBERs. Gen. 24. Sp. 100 ? 



Amao'anthacece. 

 -Portulaceae. — Illecebrace^. — Caryophyllaceoe. 



Fig. CCCXLII.— Paronychia capitata. 1. a section of a flower ; 2. of tlie ovary ; 3. ripe seed ; 4. a 

 section of it.— iV^ee*. 



K K 2J 



