242 MANUAL OF BOTANY 



fleshy indehiscent achaenia, or capsular and 3 — 4-celled. Seeds 

 ascending, with a minute embryo in fleshy endosperm on the 

 outside of hard mealy perisperm. This order is included hy 

 Bentliam and Hooker in Piperacece as the tribe Saururece, 



Distribution and Numbers. — Natives of North America, 

 Northern India, and China. Illustrative Genera : — Saururus, 

 Linn. ; Houttuynia, Thunb. There are about 7 species. 



Properties and Uses. — They have acrid properties, and are 

 reputed to be emmenagogue. Some are also astringent. 



Order 16. CnLORANTHACEiE, the Chloranthus Order. — 

 Character. — Herbs or undershrubs with jointed stems, which 

 are tumid at the nodes. Leaves simple, opposite, sheathing, 

 with small mterpetiolar stipules. Floivers in terminal spikes, 

 achlamydeous, with scaly bracts, hermaphrodite or unisexual. 

 ■Starnens 1, or more and miited. Ovary 1-cellecl with a solitary 

 pendulous ovule. Fruit drupaceous. Seed pendulous, with a 

 minute embryo at the apex of fleshy endosperm ; radicle 

 inferior. 



Distribution and Numbers . — Natives of tropical regions. 

 Illustrative Genera : — Hedyosmum, Swart z ; Chloranthus, 

 Swartz. There are about 15 species. 



Pro2)erties and Uses. — Aromatic stimulant properties are the 

 principal characteristics of the plants of this order. 



Order 11. Myristicace^, the Nutmeg Order. — Character. 

 — Trees. Leaves alternate, exstipulate, entire, dotted, stalked, 

 leathery. Flowers unisexual. Calyx inferior, leathery, 3 — 4- 

 cleft ; in the female flower, deciduous; cestivation valvate. 

 Male flower with 3—12 stamens, or rarely more numerous ; 

 filaments distinct or monadelphous ; anthers 2-celled, extrorse, 

 distinct or miited, with longitudinal dehiscence. Female floiuer 

 with 1 or many superior distinct carjjels, or rarely 2 ; each 

 carpel with 1 erect ovule. Fruit succulent. Seed arillate, 

 with copious oily-fleshy ruminated albumen ; embryo small, 

 with an inferior radicle. 



Distribution and Numbers. — Natives of tropical India and 

 America. Illustrative Genera : — Myristica, Linn. ; Hyalo- 

 stemma. Wall. There are above 40 species. 



Properties and Uses. — Aromatic properties are almost uni- 

 versally found in the plants of this order, and more especially 

 in their seeds. The bark and the pericarp are frequently acrid. 

 Order 18. Monimiace^e, the Monimia Order. — Diagnosis.— 

 Trees or shrubs, with opposite exstipulate leaves. Flowers 

 axiUary, unisexual. The flowers generally resemble those of the 



