452 SYSTEMATIC BOTANY. 



Natural Order 25. Elatinace^. — The "Water-Pepper 

 Order. — C h a r a c t e r. — Little annual marsh plants, with hollow 

 creeping stems. Leaves opposite, with interpetiolar membrana- 

 ceous stipules. Flowers minute, axillary. Sepals and j^^i^l^ 

 3 — 5, imbricated, the latter hypogynous and alternate with the 

 sepals. Stamens hypogynous, generally double the number, 

 or sometimes only as numerous as the petals, distinct. Ovary 

 superior, 3 — 5-celled; styles 3 — 5; stigmas capitate; ovules im- 

 merous, anatropal. Fridt capsular, 3 — o-celled, 3 — 5-valved, 

 dehiscence loculicidal ; placentas axile. Seeds numerous, without 

 albumen, wrinkled ; embryo straight ; radicle towards the hilum. 



Diagnosis. — Little annual plants, with hollow stems, and 

 opposite leaves with interpetiolar stipules. Flowers small and 

 axillary. Sepals and petals 3 — 5, the latter, as well as the 

 stamens, being hypogynous. Fruit capsular, 3 — 5-celled, pla-r 

 centation axile. Styles 3 — 5 ; stigmas capitate. Seeds nu- 

 merous, exalbuminous ; embryo straight. 



Distribution, Sfc. — The plants of this small order are scat- 

 tered all over the world. Examples of the Genera: — Elatine, 

 Merimea. Lindley enumerates 22 species. 



Properties and Uses. — They are generally considered acrid, 

 hence the English name of the order. 



Natxiral Order 26, — Caryophyllace^. — The Pink or Clove- 

 wort Order {figs 875-879). — Character. — Herbs. Stems 

 swollen at the joints. Leaves opposite, entire, exstipulate, often 

 united at their base. Inflorescence various, cymose {fig. 408). 

 Flowers hermaphrodite, or rarely unisexual. Sepals 4 or 5 

 {fig. 875), distinct, or coherent into a tube {fig. 443), persistent. 

 Petals equal in number to the sepals {fig. 875), hypogynous, un- 

 guiculate {fig. 459), often deeply divided {fig. 458), sometimes 

 absent, frequently raised above the calyx on a stalk {fig. 876). 

 Stamens equal in number to the sepals, and then either alternate 

 or opposite to them, or usually twice as numerous {figs. 875 and 

 877), or rarely fewer, frequently attached with the petals on a 

 stalk above the calyx {fig. 876) ; filaments generally distinct 

 {fig. 877), sometimes united at the base, subulate ; anthers in- 

 nate. Ovary sessile {fig. 877), or supported with the petals 

 and stamens on a short gynophore {figs. 588, g, and 876), 1- 

 celled generally {figs. 619 and 620), or rarely 2 — 5-celled (figs. 

 618 and 875) ; styles 2 {fig. 588) to 5 {figs. 619 and 620), papil- 

 lose on their inner surface {fig. 588), and hence should properly 

 be regarded as stigmas; ovules few or numerous {fig. 619, ^), 

 amphitropal. Fruit a 1 -celled capsule, opening by 2 — 5 valves, 

 or by 4 — 10 teeth, at the apex {figs. 649 and 878), and having a 

 free central placenta {figs. 619 and 620, p), or rarely 2 — 5-celled 

 \\ith a loculicidal dehiscence, and with the placentas slightly 

 attached to the dissepiments {fig. 618). Seeds usually numerous, 



