Paratrophis. | URTICACE. 631 
spicuous, cymose or fascicled or capitate, rarely solitary, some- 
times crowded on a variously shaped receptacle with or without an 
involucre. Perianth simple, herbaceous, of 1-5 equal or unequal 
lobes or segments, imbricate or valvate in bud, in the female 
flowers often smaller and with fewer segments, rarely absent. 
Stamens generally the same number as the divisions of the perianth 
and opposite to them; filaments short and erect, or longer and 
then inflexed in bud, sometimes elastic ; anthers 2-celled, dehiscing 
lengthwise. Ovary superior, or rarely more or less inferior, 1- 
celled ; style terminal or lateral, simple or 2-partite with stigmatose 
branches, or reduced to a sessile fringed or plumose stigma ; ovule 
solitary. Fruit simple, a small drupe or berry or achene, or (in 
genera not found in New Zealand) compound and composed of a 
confluent mass of the fruits and perianths of several or many 
flowers. Seed erect or pendulous; albumen present or more gene- 
rally wanting ; embryo straight or curved, radicle superior. 
In the circumscription of this order I have followed the ‘‘ Genera Plan- 
tarum,’’ but by many authors it is split up into 3 or 4, only 2 of which, how- 
ever, are represented in New Zealand. Taken in the broad sense, it is a most 
important and widely spread family, found in all parts of the world, but most 
abundant in warm or tropical regions. The genera are over 100, and the 
species may be fairly estimated at 1500. It includes a large number of useful 
plants, only a few of which can be mentioned here. Of edible species, the fig, 
mulberry, and bread-fruit are the most important. Of fibre-plants, the common 
hemp, the paper-mulberry, and the rhea (Behmeria nivea). Several species of 
Ficus, and notably F'. elastica, yield indiarubber. Ficus indica is the well- 
known banyan. The upas-tree (Antiaris toxicaria) is highly poisonous. Of the 
6 indigenous genera, Urtica and Parietaria are widely spread in most temperate 
and tropical climates; Hlatostema and Behmeria are mainly tropical; 
Paratrophis extends to the Pacific islands and Malay Archipelago; while 
Australina is found in Australia and South Africa. 
* Trees with milky sap. Flcwers spiked. Fruit dru- 
paceous ; ovule pendulous 1, PARATROPHIS. 
** Sap watery. Flowers solitary or glomerate or cymose. Ovule erect. 
Herbs with stinging hairs. Leaves opposite. Female 
perianth 4-partite .. Sc or Hf x 
Herbs. Leaves alternate. Flowers crowded on a fleshy 
discoid receptacle oe He Ss as 
Trees. Leaves 3-nerved. Female perianth tubular, 
enclosing the fruit .. iN of Ne Ag) 
Herbs, without stinging hairs. Leaves alternate. Flowers 
in involucrate clusters. Female perianth tubular. 
Stigma tufted aus is sf as 
Herbs, without stinging hairs. Leavesalternate. Flowers 
not involucrate. Female perianth tubular. Stigma 
linear st if. ae “3 a3 .. 6. AUSTRALINA. 
1 PARATROPHIS, Blume, 
Trees with milky juice. Leaves alternate, shortly petiolate, 
crenate or almost entire, penninerved; stipules small, lateral, 
caducous. Flowers dicecious, in axillary or rarely terminal soli- 
2. Urtica. 
3. HLATOSTEMA, 
4. BQ®HMERIA. 
5. PARIETARIA, 
