622 SYSTEMATIC BOTANY. 



Order. — Herbs, shrubs, or trees, with the stems usually tumid 

 at the joints. Leaves j^enerally opposite. Flowers with an in- 

 volucre. Calyx tubular or funnel-shaped, often coloured, 

 plaited in aestivation, contracted towards the middle, its base 

 persistent and becoming indurated and forming a spurious 

 pei'icarp. Stamens 1 or many, hypogynous. Ovary superior, 

 1 -celled, with a single ovule; style 1; stigma 1. Fruit a utricle, 

 enclosed by the hardened persistent base of the calyx wliich 

 forms a spurious pericarp. Seed solitary (fig. 759); embryo 

 coiled round mealy albumen (fig. 759), with foliaceous cotyle- 

 dons, and an inferior radicle. 



Distribution, S^c. — Natives exclusively of warm regions. Ex- 

 amples : — Boerhaavia, INIirabiUs, Pisonia. There are 17 genera, 

 and about 100 species. 



Properties and Uses. — Chiefly remarkable for the presence 

 of a purgative property in their roots; this is especially the 

 case with Mirabilis Jalapa and longijlora. M. Jalapa was 

 long erroneously regarded as the source of our medicinal 

 Jalap. M. dichotoma is commonly known under the name of 

 the Four-o'clock plant, from its opening its flowers in the 

 afternoon. 



Natural Order 1 82. AMARANTiiACEiE.— The Amaranth Order. 

 — Herbs or shrubs. Leaves simple, exstipulate, opposite or 

 alternate. Flowers ci'owded, spiked or capitate, bracteated, 

 perfect, or occasionally unisexual. Calyx of 3 — 5 sepals, dry 

 and scarious, persistent, often coloured. Stamens 5, hypogy- 

 nous and opposite to the sepals, or a multiple of that number; 

 anthers 2-celled or 1 -celled. Ovary free, 1 -celled, with I 

 or more ovules; style 1 or none; stigma simple or compound. 

 Fruit a utricle, a caryopsis, or a berry. Seeds I or more, 

 pendulous; embryo curved round mealy albumen; radicle next 

 the hilum. 



Distribution, 8fc, — The plants of this order are most abundant 

 in tropical regions, and are altogether miknown in the coldest 

 climates. Examples : — Celosia, Amaranthus, Gomphrena. 

 There are 46 genera, and 486 species. 



Properties and Uses. — Unimportant. Some of the species 

 have bright coloured persistent flowers, and are hence cultivated 

 in our gardens, as Amaranthus caudatus, Love-lies-bleeding, 

 Amaranthus hypochondriacus, Prince's-feathers, Celosia cristata, 

 Cock's-comb, &c. 



Natural Order 183. CuENOPoniACE^. — The Goosefoot or 

 Spinage Order. — Herbs or undcrshrubs. Leaves exstipulate, 

 usually alternate, rarely opposite. Flowers minute greenish, 

 without l)racts, perfect, polygamous, or diclinous. Calyx per- 

 sistent (fig. 680), usually divided nearly to the base (fig. 425). 

 imbricated. Stamens equal in number to the lobes of the 

 calyx and opposite to them (fig. 425), or rarely fewer, hypo- 



