342 MANUAL OF BOTANY 



so that insects which are imprisoned by them become nlti- 

 mately dissolved and absorbed for their nourishment. 



Order 132, Hamamelidace^, the Witch-hazel Order. — 

 Character. — Small trees or shrubs, with alternate simple 

 leaves and deciduous stipules. Flowers in globular heads or 

 spicate, perfect or unisexual, polygamous or monoecious. Calyx 

 superior, 4- or 5-lobed. Petals 4 or 5, with an involute or 

 circinate aestivation, or altogether wanting. Sta7nens 8, half of 

 which are scale-like, sterile, and placed opposite to the petals, 

 and half fertile and alternate with them ; or numerous. Ovary 

 inferior, 2-celled ; ovules solitary' or numerous ; styles 2. Fruit 

 capsular, 2-celled, with 1 seed in each cell ; seeds albuminous. 



Distribution and Numbers.— '^a.tiyes of North America, 

 Asia, and Africa. Illustrative Genera: — Hamamelis, Linn.; 

 Liquidambar, Linn. There are about 25 species. 



Proi^erties and Uses. — Chiefly remarkable for their fragrant 

 balsamic properties. Some have acrid bitter barks ; and the 

 leaves and bark of others are astringent. 



Order 183. Bruniace^, the Brunia Order. — Character. — 

 Heath-like shrubs, with small imbricate, rigid, entire, exstipulate 

 leaves. Calyx usually superior, or sometimes nearly inferior, 

 imbricate. Petals and stamens 5, inserted on the calyx, the 

 petals alternate with the divisions of the calyx and valvate ; 

 anthers 2-celled, extrorse, bursting longitudinallj^ Ovary 

 superior or half inferior, 1 — 3-celled, with 1 or 2 suspended 

 anatropous ovules in each cell ; style simple or bifid. Fruit 

 crowned by the remains of the calyx and a disc ; 1 — 2-celled, in 

 the first case indehiscent, in the latter dehiscent. Seeds with 

 a minute embryo, in fleshy albumen. 



Distribution and Numbers. — Natives of the Cape of Good 

 Hope, except one Madagascar species. Illustrative Genera : — 

 Brunia, Linn. ; Ophiria, Linn. There are about 60 species. 



Properties and Uses. — Unknown. 



Order 134. Haloragace^, the Mare's-tail order. — Diagnosis. 

 Hei'bs or shruhs, generally aquatic. Flowers small, frequently 

 incomplete and unisexual. They are nearly allied to Onagraceae, 

 and, in fact, have been considered a degenerate form of that 

 order. They are distinguished from it by their minute calyx, the 

 limb of which is frequently obsolete ; and by having solitary 

 pendulous seeds, with fleshy albumen. 



Distribution and Numbers. — They are found in all parts of 

 the world. Illustrative Genera : — Hippuris, Linn. ; Trapa, 

 Linn. There are about 70 species. 



