66. POI.YGONACEAE — 67. CHENOPODIACEAE 179 



Seed with narrow, not folded cotyledons. - Species 50. Some are poison- 

 ous, others serve as ornamental, medicinal, or fodder-plants, or yield 

 tanning and dyeing materials . Polygonum L. 



ORDER CENTROSPERMAE 



SUBORDER CHENOPODIINEAE 



FAMILY 67. CHENOPODIACEAE 



Stem erect, ascending, or prostrate. Leaves exstipulate, sometimes wanting. 

 Flowers inconspicuous, greenish. Perianth simple, of i — 5 imbricate segments, 

 herbaceous or membranous, persistent, rarely wanting. Stamens as many 

 as and opposite the perianth-segn)ents or fewer, inserted on the receptacle or the 

 base of the perianth. Anthers attached by the back, opening inwards or 

 laterally by longitudinal slits, curved inwards in the bud. Ovary superior, 

 rarely [Beta) half -inferior, i-celled. Ovule i, on a basal funicle, curved. 

 Stigmas 2 — 5. Fruit dehiscing by a lid or indehiscent. Seed with a curved, 

 peripheral embryo. — Genera 26, species 120. {SALSOLACEAE.) (Plate 40.) 



1. Embryo spiral . Albumen wanting or separated in two parts by the em- 



bryo 2 



Embryo more or less ring- or horseshoe-shaped or folded together. Albu- 

 men wholly or partly enclosed by the embryo, rarely wanting . . .11 



2. Bracteoles small, scale-hke. Perianth herbaceous or fleshy. Stigmas 



thread-shaped, papillose all round. Leaves glabrous, fleshy. — Speciss 

 10. Some are used as vegetables or for making soda. (Including 

 Chenopodina Moq., Lerchia Hall., Schanginia C. A. Mey., Schoberia C. A. 

 Mey., and Sevada Moq.) [Tribe SUAEDEAE.] . Suaeda Forsk. 

 Bracteoles equalling or exceeding the perianth. Perianth usually mem- 

 branous. Stigmas papillose on the inside. Leaves usually hairy. 

 [Tribe SALSOLEAE.] 3 



3. Seed horizontal. Disc usually inconspicuous. [Subtribe sodinae.] . 4 

 Seed vertical. Disc usually lobed. ^Subtribe anabasinae.] . . 6 



4. Perianth 5-lobed, hardening to the top and wingless in the fruit. Filaments 



flattened. Disc inconspicuous. Embryo in a conical spiral. Shrubs 

 with continuous branches and alternate leaves. — Species 2. North 



Africa to the Sahara. (Plate 40.) Traganum Del. 



Perianth 4— 5-parted or of 4 — 5 free segments, not hardening or at the 

 base only and furnished with a horizontal wing in the fruit. . . 5 



5. Branches jointed. Leaves scale-hke, opposite, connate in pairs. Shrubs. 



Perianth -segments free. Anthers blunt. Disc lobed, enlarged in the 

 fruit. Embryo in a flat spiral. — Species 2. North Africa. 



Haloxylon Bunge 

 Branches continuous. Disc usually inconspicuous. — Species 20. Some 

 of them are used as vegetables or in medicine or furnish soda. " Salt- 

 wort." (Including Caroxylon Thunb.) Salsola L. 



