Order 37.— RTJTACEjE. 



281 



united, the upper ono spurred. Petals 1 — 5, tbo throo lower ones stalked, tbe 2 



upper inserted on tho calyx. Stamens 6 to 10, distinct, unequal, perigyuous. 



Ovary 3-carpeled ; style I; stigmas 3. Fruit separating into 3 indehiscent, 1 -seeded 



nuts. Sds. largo. Albumen 0. 



Genera 4, specie* 40, natives of S. America. They possess the same antiscorbutic properties 

 aa the Crucifcraj. The fruit of the following species is pickled and used as a substitute for 

 capers. 



TROPjEOLUM, L. Indian Cress. (Lat. tropecum, a trophy ; the 

 leaf resembles a shield, the flower an empty helmet.) Character essen- 

 tially the same as of the order. 



1 T. ma jus L. Nasturtion. Lvs. peltate, roundish, repandon the margin, with 

 the bag petiole inserted a little one side of the center ; pet. obtuse, tbe 2 upper 

 distant from tbe 3 lower, which aro fimbriate at base, and contracted into long 

 claws. — CD Native of Peru. St. at length climbing by means of its long petioles 

 several feet. Lvs. a fine example of tbe peltate form, about 2' diam. Fls. largo 

 and sbowy, orange-colored, with blotches of deeper shade. They are eaten for 

 salad. Jn. — Oct. 



2 T. addncum Smith. Canary Creeper. Capuchine. St. trailing or climb- 

 ing ; lvs. peltate, palmately 5-lobed, lobes dentate ; petals laciniate, the two upper 

 much larger ; sep. entire, acute. — Admired for its grotesque, orange-colored flow- 

 ers. Climbing by its prebensive petioles liko T. majus. When full grown it will 

 thrive upon air alone, f From Peru. 



Order XXXVI. LIMNANTHACE^E. Limnanths. 



Herbs annual, with an acrid, watery juice, alternate, pinnatifid, exstipulato leaves. 

 Flowers regular, 3 to 5-merous, perfsct. Sepals united at base, persistent, valvate 

 in aestivation. Petals marescent, bypogynous. Sta7iiens twice as many as petais 

 and inserted with them. Fil. opposite to tho sep. with a small process outside the 

 base. Ova. of 2 to 5 carpels. Sty. united. Stig. simple. Fr. 2 to 5 achenia, 

 rather fleshy. Sds. solitary. 



Genera 2, species 3, mostly natives of tho temperate parts of N. America. 



FLOERKEA, Willd. False Mermaid. (Named in honor of Floerke, 

 a German botanist.) Sepals 3, longer than the 3 petals ; stamens 6 ; 

 ovaries 3, tuberculate, stylo 2-cleft. — CD Small aquatics, with pinnately 

 divided leaves. 



P. proserpinacoides Lindl. Grows in marshes 

 on rivers and lake sbores, Vt. to Penn., W. to 

 Mo. Sts. decumbent, less than a foot in length, 

 weak, slender. Lvs. alternate, upper ones or 

 those above the water, pinnately 5-parted, lower 

 or submersed ones mostly 3-parted, all on slen- 

 der petioles 1 to 3' in length. Fls. axillary, 

 pedunculate ; petals, white, small, about half as 

 long as tho sepals. Achenia large, 2 or 1, 

 roundish. 



Ord. XXXVII. RUTACEiE. Rueworts. 



Herbs or generally shrubs or trees, with the ex- 

 stipulate leaves dotted with transparent glands 

 containing aromatic or acrid oiL Flowers regular, 

 3 to 5-merous, bypogynous, perfect or polygamous. 

 Stamens as many or twice as many as the sepals. 



628, Ruta praveolcns, leaves, flower, 

 fruit. 9, Xanthoxylum, staminato 

 flower; 630, pistillate flower. 



