SoLANALEs.] SOL AN ALES. 615 



Alliance XLVI. SOLANALES, — The Solanal Alll\xce. 



Diagnosis. — Perigynous Exogens, with cUchlamydeoits, monopetalous, si/mmctrical flowers, 

 axile placenta, 2-3-ceUecl fruit, large embryo, lying in a small quantity of albumen. 



All these plants are clearly held together by the common character of a monopeta- 

 lous corolla, axile placentae, regular sjTnmetrical flowers, and an inconsiderable quantity 

 of albumen. It is the last cu'cumstance, with the axile placentation, which divides 

 them from the Geutianal Alliance. The free central placenta of Cortusals clearly distin- 

 guishes that Alliance. 



Here and there anomalous genera occur, with no corolla, or separate petals, but 

 they are rare, and do not seem to invahdate the Alliance, which joins Gentianals by 

 Oliveworts, which are nearly allied to Ebeuads and Hollyworts, and passes into Cortu- 

 sals by the Polemoniads, which are so very near Hydrophyls that the two were once 

 blended in the same Natui'al Order. 



Lateral affinities are here very impoi*tant. Nothing whatever except the symmetry 

 of their flowers separates Nightshades from Figworts in the Bignonial xVUiance ; Olive- 

 worts touch Jasmineworts among Echials ; Asclepiads Dogbanes in Gentianals, and 

 Bindweeds the Nolanads of the Echial Alhance. 



Natural Orders of Solanals. 



Stamens free, 2 o?" 4 237. Oleace^. 



Stamens free, 5. Placentce axile. Embryo terete 238. Solanace^. 



Anthers and stigma consolidated mto a column 239. Asclepiadace^. 



Stamens free, 5. Placentce axile. Ootyledonsleafy, folded long i-\.2iQ Cordiace.e 



tudinally J 



Stamens free, 5. Placentce basal. Cotyledons leafy, doiMed up 241.Convolvulace.e. 

 Stamens free, b. Placentce basal. Embryo filiform, spiral . . 242. Cuscutace.e. 



Stamens free, 5. Placentce a.xile. Cotyledons straight, piano- \ 0,0 Polemomace^ 

 convex J " * 



