6g. NYCTAGIXACEAE — 70. CYNOCRAMBACEAE — 7I. PHYTOLACCACEAE 187 



2. Stein woody, spinous. Leaves alternate or fascicled. Flowers in fas- 



cicles. Stamens 3 — 10, unequal. Ovary oblong. [^Subtribe bougaix- 



VILLEIXAE.I 3 



Stem herbaceous or woody at the base only, not spinous. Leaves opposite. 

 Flower? hermaphrodite. Ovary ovoid or globose. [Subtribe boer- 

 HAVIINAE.; I 



3. Clusters of flowers surrounded by an involucre of 3 large, coloured bracts. 



Fruit not winged. Leaves scattered. — Species i. Naturalized in the 



tropics. Hrnamental plant BougainvilleaCommers 



Clusters of flowers without an involucre. Fruit winged. Leaves fascicled. 

 — Species 2. South Africa, southern West Africa, and Madagascar. 

 (Including Amphoranthits S. Mooie) .... Phaeoptilon Radlk. 

 .4. Flowers large, surrounded by a calyx-like, 4 — 5-cleit involucre. — Species i 

 {M. Jalapa L.,mai-vel of Peru). Naturalized in various regions. An orna- 

 mental and medicinal plant Mirabilis L. 



Flowers surrounded singly or in clusters by some early deciduous bracts. — 

 Species 20. Some of them are used as vegetables or in medicine. 



Boerhavia L 

 FAMILY 70. CYNOCRAMBACEAE 



Herbs. Leaves undivided, stipulate, the lower opposite, the upper alternate. 

 Plowers monoecious, the male in groups of 2 — 4 opposite the leaves, the female 

 in axillar}^ clusters of 3. Perianth of the male flowers 2 — 3-parted,valvate in 

 bud, of the female tubular, 2 — 4-toothed. Stamens 10 — 30, free ; anthers 

 linear. Ovary inferior, i-celled. Ovule i, basal, curved, with the micropjde 

 turned downwards. Style simple, basal. Fruit a drupe. Seed with a curved 

 embryo and cartilaginous albumen. {THELIGONACEAE, under CHENG- 

 PODIACEAE or URTICACEAE.) 



Genus i, species i. North Africa. [Theligoniim L.) . Cynocrambe Gaertn. 



FAMILY 71. PHYTOLACCACEAE 



Leaves alternate, entire, without stipules. Flowers in racemes or spikes, 

 "bracteolate. Perianth 4 — 5-parted, herbaceous or membranous, coloured, 

 imbricate in bud, persistent in fruit. Stamens 3 — 2>i' hypogynous. Filaments 

 free or united at the base. Anthers affixed at the back, opening by two longi- 

 tudinal slits. Carpels superior. Ovules solitary in each ovary-cell or m each 

 distinct carpel, basal, curved ; micropyle turned downwards and outwards. 

 Seed with an annular embryo surrounding the albumen. — Genera 5, species 15. 



1. Style I, undivided. Ovary i-celled. Stamens 4. Anthers linear. Peri- 



anth 4 -parted. F"lowers in racemes. Leaves elliptical. Lander- 

 shrubs. [Tribe RIVINEAE.] 2 



Styles 2 or more, tree or nearly so. Peiianth nearly always 5-parted . 3 



2. Flowers irregular. Fruit nearly dry. — Species i. Tropics. Used 



medicinally. [Mohlana Mart.) Hilleria \>11. 



Flowers regular. Fruit succulent. — Species i. Naturalized in the 

 tropics. Used as an ornamental and a dye-plant. . Rivina Plum. 



