Order 105.— CHENOPODIACK.E. 



611 



length, dry, globular, with 1 vertical seed; embryo annular. — 2£ Half 

 shrubby, with alternate, petiolate, pinnate-veined lvs. and fls. in simple 

 terminal, soon lateral racemes. 



R. Icfevis L. Erect, branched, glabrous and bright green ; lvs. ovate, acuminate, 

 subcord;ite or obtuse at base, subcrenulate ; rac. longer than the leaves; fls. rose- 

 white, green in fruit; stam. 4; sep. oval, obtuse. — Fla. to Tex. Plant 6 to £t 

 high, much resembling in aspect Phytolacca. St. furrowed. 'Lvs. 2 to 4' by 1 to 

 2', petioles 1' to 18". Sep. enlarged in fruit, then 2" long. 



Order CIV. BASELLACEJE. 



Herbs glabrous, often twining and climbing, with alternate leaves. Flowers per- 

 fect, regular, with a double, imbricated calyx often colored. Stamens perigynous. 

 Otherwise as in Chenopodiacea?. Fig. 36S. 



A. small order, containing 6 genera and 21 species, chiefly tropical. 



BOUSSINGAUL'TIA, Kunth. Mexican Vine. (Dedicated to the 

 celebrated chemist Boussingault.) Fls. membranous, calyx open, the 

 exterior shorter ; tube very short ; stigmas 3, subclavate ; pericarp 

 membranous ; embryo annular with the albumen central. — Vines twinino- 

 to the right. Lvs. thick, petiolate. Fls. in spicate rac. 



B. baselloides Kunth. Lvs. rather fleshy, broadly cordate-ovate, acuminate 



or the larger ones obtuse, short-petioled ; racemes loose, simple or branched ; fil. 



dilated below ; stig. sessile. — Cultivated for shades and arbors. A vine of rapid 



growth, arising many feet. Lvs. 1 — 3' long. Ptacemes numerous, greenish. 



f S. Am. 



Order CV. CHENOPODIACEtE. Chenopods or Goose-foots. 



Herbs chiefly weed-like and homely, more or less fleshy, with alternate, exstipu- 

 late leaves. Bracts not scarious. Flowers minute, greenish, regular. Calyx imbri- 

 cated in bud. Stamens perigynous, as many as, and opposite to the calyx lobes, 

 or fewer. Ovary 2-styled, 1 -ceiled, becoming a 1 -seeded, thin utricle or caryopsis. 

 Embryo coiled into a ring around the albumen or spiral without albumen. Fig. 435. 



Genera 72, species 510, often maritime plants, more generally weeds, abounding in the tempe- 

 rate zones, in neglected and waste fields. 



Properties.— Generally bland and innocent. Some are useful for food, as the Beet, Mangel- 

 wnrtzel. Orache, Spinach. &c. Others contain an essential oil, which renders them tonic, anti- 

 spasmodic and anthelmintic; as Chenopodium botrys, C. ambrosioides, C. anthelminticum ; the 

 latter yields the officinal worm-seed oil. Salsoli, Salicornia and other sea-side species yield soda 

 from their ashes in great abundance. 



FIG. 67S.— 1. Flower of Chenopodium album. 2. Calyx, &c, removed, showing the ovary and 

 two (hypogynous) stamens. 3. Cross section of the seed, showing the coiled embryo. 4. Branch 

 of Sa icornia herbacea. 5. Two joints magnified. G. Ovarv of a flower. 7. Flower of Blitutn. 

 .japitatum, with the fleshy calyx. 8. Vertical section of the'ovary. 9. Flower of Beta vulgaris. 



SUBORDERS, TRIBES AND GENERA. 

 § SPIROLOBE^E. Embryo a spiral coil. Leaves linear, fleshy. Stems continuous. (*) 



* Tribe Sai-solea Emb. a conic spir — Cal. winged on the back. (Lvs. spiny).. .Salsola. 11 



* Tribe Su.fiDF.x. Emb. a flat spiral.— Cal. not append. Lvs.acutish Cuknopodina. 1ft 



§ CYCLOLOBE^E. Embryo annular,— a ring. Leaves membranous, flat, or none. (*) 



