54 ILLUSTRATIONS OF INDIAN BOTANY. 
tioned, and in this country the Bergia ammannoides has, in Tamul, received that of Neer-mel- 
: ; inci i i remote. 
neripoo, or water-fire, a curious coincidence of names in countries so 
Remarks on THe Genera. Dr. Arnott and myself following Delile, referred the genus 
: ; wn gs find the dehiscence of — 
Bergia to Elatine whether udiciously or not may be doubted, now that I 
Batis is septicidal while that of Elatine, as appears from the statements of those who berg | 
examined it with care, is loculicidal. This distinction combined with the difference of habit, o 
i i i istinction to keep them 
the two sets of plants, might I think with propriety be employed as a distinction > then 
generically separate, notwithstanding the similarity of their flowers, on which account, I, in this 
work, retain the oldname of Bergia for the Elatine verticellata and E. amma nioides of our Pro. 
omus, to which work however, I refer for the distinguishing characters. The accompanying | 
plate represents a species of each genus, 
EXPLANATION OF PLATE 25, 
A. 1. Plant of Bergiaammannoides, Nataral size. this species, to variation in the number of the parts 
2. Portion of a branch slightly magnified to show of the verticels of the flower, 3,4.and5 pieces occur. — 
the stipules and aggregated axillary flowers, 3. Flow- ring indiscriminately in different flowers, picked from 
ers opened, showing the sepals, petals, stamens, ovary, the same stalk : : 
and stigmas. 4. Stamens separate, back and front . 1. Elatine ambigua. Natural size. _ 
views. 5. Mature fruit. 6. The same after dehiscence, 2. A plant removed from the soil and emp am 
the persistent rn te rego 7. Capsule cut trans- nified, showing its repent habit. 3. Portion ofa ran 
A seed, 9. T ‘ 
All more or less magnified, 
These figures show the Strong tendency that exists in dees magnified, 
ee of our Prodromus. 
ceae ; Stellaria, Cerastium, and Arenaria, to Alsinaceae: and Mollugo to 
mg the Paronychiac 
é : ) ese three orders, along with Portulaceeé 
amariscinee are combined into one Alliance” Silenales, distinguished by having the 
Embryo rolled round mealy albumen ; or if this is not the case, herbaceous plants with the 
Eaten, ete at ane bee te ins Tepiacing the leaves upon rod-like branches ; almost all 
or small shrubs.” e ws . ” : 
refers to "Tomariseinods. eae ee ne os replacing the leaves” of this c 
aracter — 
The orders Sra hap bene 
has two sepals : Silenaceae . ee thus summarily distinguished — Portulac 
es ed i . ; ; istinct : 
Tamariscineae the Te of the fruit loculicid , e : Alsinaceae four or five distin 
. ‘ dehiscence is also loculicidal. Silenaceae and Alsi ageae are repre- 
pia the the accompanying plate, and Portulaceae and Ilecebreae will he in a subsequent 
ne Ve . : . 3 
free. Petals four or five, sometimes unguiculate, y having a calyx of 4-5 sepals either united oF 
pr bagi ys sg a whee equal alternate with them. A Single ovary of 2-5 united carpels 
fectly 2.5 celled, aie wae filiform stigmas. Capsule 2-5 velead: one-celled or impef- 
so Y partially splitting at the apex, forming twice as many 
al, seed hairy : and Illecebreae have leaves with — 
Same ‘cut transversely, more magnified. 4. Flower opened. 5. Capsule. 6 
he same after dehiscence, 7. A seed. Adi more or 
ed 
Sa CARE. = Se ee 
tie, sae ae ee ek et gael ae Satu 
