176 ENGLISH BOTANY. 



Sub-Class V.— A PETALS. 



Perianth usually single or none. Calyx free or more or less adhering 

 to the ovary, herbaceous or petaloid, sometimes rudimentary or absent. 

 Petals none, or very small, or similar to the calyx. Ovules enclosed 

 in an ovary, fertilised by the pollen falling on a stigma, and not 

 directly upon the ovule. Ovules containing only a primary embryo 

 sac. 



ORDER LIX.— PARONYCHIACE.^.* 



Small annual or perennial herbs, the stems usually procumbent and 

 diffuse, sometimes shrubby at the base. Leaves opposite, rarely alter- 

 nate, almost always with mmute scarious stipules. Flowers perfect, 

 very minute, in terminal and axillary cymes or glomerules. Calyx 

 of 4, 5, or 3 sepals, or 4- or 5-cleft or partite. Petals usually 

 none or reduced to 5 small filaments, rarely conspicuous. Stamens 

 as many as the divisions of the calyx. Ovary free from the calyx, 

 1-celled; ovules solitary or rarely several on a free central 2>lacenta; 

 styles 2 to .'^, sometimes none ; in which case the ovary has 2 or 3 

 distinct stigmas. Capsule 1-celled, generally a utricle. Seed 1 or 

 rarely several, with a recurved embryo and mealy allaumen. 



Tribe L— PARONYCHICiE. 



Sepals free nearly to the base. Petals minute or absent. Stipules 

 present, usually scarious. 



GENUS /.— C ORRIGIOLA. Linn. 



Calyx herbaceous, persistent, 5-partite; segments concave, ovate, 

 obtuse, with white scarious margins. Petals 5, perigonous, oval or 

 oblong, as long as the calyx. Stamens 5. Ovary 1-celled, and con- 



* The order Paronycliiaceoe is closely related to tlie polypetalotis order Caryo- 

 phyllacetB on the one hand, and to the apetalous order Amarantacese on the other. I 

 have followed Mr. Bentham in placing it in juxtaposition to the latter. The group 

 Apetate is almost universally admitted to be as unnatural as one of Linnseus' classes 

 founded on the number of stamens, and it is retained solely on account of convenience, 

 the absence of petals being a character readily recognisable, although unforhinately 

 all apetalous plants cannot be placed in tliis group. 



