468 HYPERICACEA.— REAUMURIACEA. 
Order 2. HyprricacE®, the St. John’s Wort Order. —Cha- 
racter.—Herbs, shrubs, or trees. Leaves opposite or very rarely 
alternate, exstipulate, simple, entire, often dotted and bordered 
with black glands. Flowers regular. Sepals 4 or 5 (fig. 918), per- 
sistent, unequal, distinct or united at the base, imbricate. Petals 
(fig. 915) equal in number to the sepals, hypogynous, unequal- 
sided (fig. 914), frequently bordered with black glands ; xstiva- 
tion twisted. Stamens usually numerous, rarely few, hypogynous 
(fig. 914), mostly polyadelphous (fig. 554), or rarely distinct, 
or monadelphous, sometimes having glands alternating with the 
bundles of stamens; filaments filiform ; anthers 2-celled, with 
longitudinal dehiscence. Ovary 1-celled, formed of from 3—5 
carpels, which are partially inflected so as to project into the 
cavity ; or 3—5-celled by the union of the dissepiments in the 
centre (jig. 913); styles equal in number to the carpels ; stigmas 
usually capitate or truncate, rarely 2-lobed. Frwt capsular, 
usually 3—5-celled, sometimes 1l-celled; placentas axile or 
parietal, dehiscence septicidal. Seeds minute, numerous ; embryo 
straight or curved, exalbuminous (jig. 915). 
Diagnosis.—Leaves entire, often dotted, exstipulate. Flowers 
regular. Sepals and petals hypogynous, with a quaternary or 
quinary distribution ; the former with an imbricate estivation ; 
the latter unequal-sided, commonly marked with black glands, 
and having a twisted zstivation. Stamens hypogynous, usually 
numerous and polyadelphous, rarely few, and then distinct or 
monadelphous ; anthers 2-celled, opening longitudinally. Styles 
several. Fruit 1-celled, or 5—5-celled. Seeds numerous, ex- 
albuminous. 
Distribution and Nwmbers.—The plants are generally dis- 
tributed over the globe, inhabiting both temperate and hot 
regions, and almost all varieties of soil. Illustrative Genera :—— 
Hypericum, Jann.; Vismia, Vell. There are about 280 species. 
Properties and Uses.—They abound usually in a resinous 
yellow juice, which is frequently purgative, as in Vismia 
guianensis and V. micrantha. Other plants of the order, as 
Hypericum perforatum and H. Androsemuwn, have tonic and 
astringent properties, and Cratoxylon Hornschuchii is slightly 
astringent and diuretic. 
Order 3. REAUMURIACE, the Reaumuria Order.—This small 
order was first instituted by Ehrenberg. The plants belonging 
to it do not differ in any essential characters from Hypericaceze, 
except that they have a pair of appendages at the base of the 
petals, and shaggy seeds with a small quantity of mealy albumen. 
Bentham and Hooker refer them to Tamaricaceer. 
Distribution and Numbers.—Natives of the coast of the 
Mediterranean and the salt plains of Northern Asia. Illustrative 
Genus :—Reaumuria, Hasselqg. There are 4 species. 
Properties and Uses.—They contain much saline matter. A 
