THALAMIFLOR^. 441 



or distinct, hypogynous ; anthers 2-cellecl, extrorse, with a 

 thickened connective. Fertile flower: — Carpels numerous, 1- 

 celled, distinct or coherent; ovules 2, pendulous. Fruits nume- 

 rous, collected into a cluster, baccate. Seeds with abundant 

 solid fleshy albumen; embryo very minute. 



Diagnosis. — Scrambling shrubs. Leaves alternate, exstipu- 

 late, simple. Flowers unisexual. Sepals and petals imbricated. 

 Stamens numerous, hypogynous. Ovules pendulous ; embryo 

 very minute, with abundant homogeneous albumen. 



Distribution, Sfc. — This small order only contains .5 genera, 

 and 12 species. They occur in India, Japan, and the southern 

 parts of North America. Examples: — Kadsura, Schizandra, 

 Hortonia. 



Properties and Uses. — The plants of this order are insipid and 

 mucilaginous. Some have edible fruits. A species of Schi- 

 zandra and Sphcerostema are cultivated in our greenhouses and 

 stoves. 



Natural Order 7. Menisper»iace^.— The Moon- Seed Order. 

 — General Character. — Climbing or trailing sArw^s. Leaves 

 alternate, simple, exstipulate, usually entire. Flowers generally 

 dioecious, but sometimes imperfectly unisexual, rarely perfect or 

 polygamous. Barren flower : — Calyx and corolla with a ternary 

 an-angement of their pai-ts, generally in two whorls, imbricate 

 or vaivate. Stamens usually distinct, sometimes monadelphous. 

 Ovaria rudimentary or wanting. Fertile flower : — Sepals oxid 

 petals usually resembling those of the barren flower. Stamens 

 imperfectly developed, or Avanting. Carpels usually 3, sometimes 

 6, commonly supported on a gynophore, distinct, 1- celled, each 

 containing one curved ovule. Fruits drupaceous, curved around 

 a central placental process, 1 -celled. Seeds 1 in each cell, and 

 curved so as to assume the form of that cell ; embryo curved ; 

 albumen present or absent; when present homogeneous, or par- 

 tially divided into plates or convolutions by the projection 

 inwards of the membranous covering of the seed. 



Diagnosis, — Trailing or climbing shrubs. Leaves alternate, 

 simple, exstipulate. Flowers usually dioecious. Sepals, petals, 

 stamens, and carpels, with a ternary an-angement, hypo- 

 gynous. Carpels placed on a gynophore, distinct. Fruits 1- 

 celled, curved. Seed solitary, curved ; embryo curved ; albumen 

 absent, or usually small in amount, and then either homogeneous 

 or divided. 



fliers remarks, " that there is probably no family so completely 

 heteromorphous as the Menispermacese, or presents such extreme 

 and aberrant features at variance with its normal structure." 

 Hence there is great difficulty in draM'ing up a satisfactory 

 diagnosis of this order. 



Distribution, ^c. — The plants of this order are chiefly found 

 in the forests of the tropical parts of Asia and America. None 



