94 ENGLISH BOTANY. 



the same county; possibly also in Hertfordshire. Mr. Varenne, in 

 a letter dated December 28th, 1SG5, writes to me : — " I have not 

 met with Cuscuta llassiaca since the notice of its discovery ap- 

 peared in the ' Phytologist.' " The plant cannot, therefore, be 

 considered as permanently established in Britain. 



ORDER XLIX.— S OLANAOE^. 



Herbs or undershrubs, more rarely shrubs, with alternate 

 leaves, often with fascicles of smaller leaves in their axils ; stipules 

 none. Plowers perfect, regular or nearly so, generally solitary 

 or in cymes, never in true racemes. Calyx free from the ovary, 

 persistent (the apical portion sometimes deciduous), 5- rarely 

 4-toothed, cleft, or partite. Corolla hypogynous, monopetalous, 

 rotate, salver-shaped, funnel-shaped, bell-shaped, or clavate, 

 regular or nearly regular, with the limb 5- rarely 4-lobed ; seg- 

 ments with valvate, plicate, or imbricated aestivation. Stamens 

 inserted in the tube of the corolla, alternate with the lobes 

 and equalling them in number (i.e. 5 or 4), equal or nearly 

 equal in length. Ovary 2-celled, rarely 3- to 5-celled, with the 

 placenta in the centre ; style single ; stigma generally entire ; 

 ovules numerous in each cell. Pruit a 2-, 3-, or 4-celled berry, or 

 a capsule with 2, 4, rarely 3 or 5 or more cells. Seeds numerous ; 

 embryo minute, usually curved, in fleshy albumen. 



GENUS I.—S O L A N U M. Zinn. 



Calyx of 5- (rarely 10-) partite segments, persistent, but 

 not accrescent after flowering. Corolla regular, rotate, or rarely 

 campanulate ; tube very short ; the limb 5- (rarely 10-) partite ; 

 segments valvate in aestivation. Stamens 5 (very rarely more), 

 inserted in the throat of the corolla, exserted ; filaments very 

 short ; anthers connivent and coherent, each one opening by 2 pores 

 at the apex. Eruit a berry, with 2 (or rarely more) cells. Seeds 

 numerous, sub-reniform. 



Plants of various habit, with the flowers frequently extra- 

 axillary, commonly white or violet, rarely yellow. 



The derivation of the name of this genus of plants is from solor, I ease, because 

 of its stupefying power. 



