PARONYCHIEAE 267 



Genus 1. Polycarpon. 



Flores parvi, numerosi, in cymas multoties iteratas, sca- 

 rioso-bracteolatas, in corymbos vel fasciculos contractas, di- 

 spositi, confertissimi; cali/x quinquepartitus, laciniis lierba- 

 ceis, margine angusto-membranaceo, apice cucullato vel mu- 

 tico; corolla quinquepetala, imo calyci inserta et illo bre- 

 viora, erosa vel bidentata; stamina 3-5, petalis inserta et 

 alterna, filamentis filiformibus et antlieris bilocularibus; o- 

 varium uniloculare, ovnlis plurimis, placentae basilari in- 

 sertis et ampliitropis; stylus brevis et trifidus; stigmata tria; 

 capsula membranacea, unilocularis et trivalvis; semina plu- 

 ra, dorso convexa, embryone leviter arcuato, cotyledonibus 

 incumbentibus et radicula umbilico parallele contigua. Her- 

 bae humiles vel suffrutices, tenellae, obviae, multicaules et 

 glaberrimae; folia opposita vel verticillato - quaterna, basi 

 stipulata. 



Endl Gen. Pl. pag. 560. n. 5212.— DC. Prodr. 3. pa- 

 gina 376.—Bert. Fl. It. 1. pag. 853.~Lam. III. tah. 51.— 

 Guss. Syn. Fl. Sic. 1. jpag. 166.—Torn. Fl. Sic. pag. 160. 

 Moris Fl. Sard. 2. pag. 105. 



I. P. tetraphyllum. — Flores parvi, paniculati, panicula ter- 

 minali, dichotomo-corymbosa, latiuscula, uti caules nodosa; 

 scapus et pedicelli tenues, virides, glabri et bracteati; calyx 

 quadri - quinquesepalus, persistens, sepalis ovatis, concavis, 

 margine albo-membranaceis. apice inflexis, dorso carinatis, 

 carina viridi, superne producta in mucronulum acutum, cras- 

 siusculum, viridem, qui paulo infra apicem inflexum valvae 

 protruditur; petala minuta, calyce breviora, oblonga, emar- 

 ginata, alba, sepalis alternantia; stamina quatuor aut quin- 

 que in eadem planta, filamentis albis et antheris aureis, o- 

 blongis; styli et stigmata generis; capsula ovata, glaberri- 

 ma, laevis, tenuis, valvis latiusculis, ovatis, canaliculatis; 

 semina pallide carnea, semipyriformia, minute tuberculata; 

 caules ab ipsa basi ramosi, caespitosi, decumbentes, adscen- 

 dentes, alterne ramosi vel dichotomi, nodosi, 2-3-pollicares, 

 teretes, striati, sursum puberuli vel toto glabri; folia oblon- 



