DICOTYLEDONES-THALAMIFLOR.E 289 



which are commonly known as Picotees, Bizarres, and 

 Flakes. 



Order 70. Paronychiace.?:, the Knotwort Order. — Cha- 

 racter. — Herhs or shvjihs, with entire, simple, alternate or 

 opposite leaves, and membranous stipules. Flowers minute. 

 Sepals 5, or rarely 3 or 4, distinct or more or less united. Petals 

 small or absent, perigjmous. Stamens perigynous or somewhat 

 hypogynous, either equal in number to the sepals and opposite 

 to them, or more mnnerous, or rarely fewer. Ovary superior, 

 1- or 3-celled; styles 2 — 5. Fruit dry, 1- or 3-celled, dehiscent 

 or indehiscent. Seeds either numerous upon a free central 

 placenta, or solitary on a long funiculus arising frotn the base of 

 the fi'uit ; alhitmen farinaceous; embryo curved. 



In the tribe Scleranthese there are no stipules. 



Distribution and Numbers. — "f^atives chiefly of barren places 

 in the south of Europe and the North of Africa. Illiisti-ative 

 Genera : — Illecebrum, Lijin. ; Corrigiola, Linn. There are about 

 100 species. 



Properties and Uses. — Slightly astringent. 



Order 71. Portulacace.e the Purslane Order. — C h a r a c t e r. 

 — Succulent herbs or shrubs, with entire exstipulate leaves. 

 Flowers unsymmetrical. Sejjals 2, or rarely more, united at 

 the base. Petals usually 5, distinct or united. Stamens peri- 

 gynous or hypogynous, varying in number, sometimes opposite 

 to the petals ; filaments distinct ; anthers 2-celled, versatile. 

 Ovary superior, or rarely partially adherent. Fruit capsular, 

 usually dehiscing transverseh', or by valves ; sometimes indehis- 

 cent ; placenta free central. Seeds numerous or solitary- ; 

 embryo curved round farinaceous albumen. 



Distribution and Numbers. — Natives of waste dry places in 

 various parts of the world, but chiefly" at the Cape of Good 

 Hope and in South America. Illustrative Genera : — Portulaea, 

 Tourn. ; Claytonia, Linn. There are about 190 species. 



Properties and Uses. — The fleshj^ root of Claytonia tuberosa 

 is edible. Portulaea oleracea has been used frora the earliest 

 times as a pot-herb, and in salads. It possesses cooling and 

 antiscorbutic properties. Many of the plants have large showy 

 flowers. 



Order 12. Tamaricace^, the Tamarisk Order. — Character. 

 — SJirubs or herbs, with alternate entire scale-like leaves and 

 spiked or racemose inflorescence. Calyx. 4 — 5-partite, imbri- 

 cate, persistent. Petals distinct, and attached to the calyx, 

 withering, imbricate. Stamens hypogynous ; anthers introrse. 



VOL. II. u 



