402 Mr. Bentham oti the Eriogoneae, a Tribe of the Order Polygonacese. 



" Perlanth'ium monophyllum, divisum, eestivatione imbricata. Stamina definita, 

 imo perianthio inserta. Jtitherarttm loculi longitudinaliter deliiscentes. 

 Ovarium lil)cruni, nionospermum, ovulo erecto. Sti/li vel stigmata plura. 

 IVif.v (arheiiium) nuda vel periautliio tccta. Albumen farinaceuni, raro 

 subnuUiun. Embri/o inversus, soepfe unilateralis. Plumida inconspicua." 



Taking the involucriun as the essential character of the Eriogonea?, they 

 M-ill be found also to agree in tlie following particulars : 



Herbce suffruticesve ssepissimfe lanuginoste. Folia caulina alterna, ad basin 

 caulis approxiniata, caespitosa vel secus ranios fasciculata, exstipulata, 

 petiolo basi dilatato seepiCis amplexicanli vel vaginante. Pedunadi vel 

 rami floriferi terminales, nunc sirnplices involucro solitario terniinali, 

 stepiiis 2 — 3-chotome vel unibellatiin raniosi, involucris solitariis glome- 

 ratisve intra ramificationes secus rainos vel ad apices sessiles vel pedicel- 

 lati. Bractecv vel folia ramorum floralium sub ramificationes orta, tot 

 quot rami vel (ramis abortientibas) numerosiora, nunc minuta squamse- 

 formia, nunc herbacea at foliis caulinis difformia, ssepissime sessilia, ex- 

 stipulata vel rarii'is stipulis scariosis aucta. Involuaum monophyllum, 

 tubulosum, campanulatum vel subcyathiforme, apice 2 — 6-dentatum, 

 1 — uiulti-florum. Flores hermaphroditi vel rariiis dioici, in involucro pe- 

 dicellati, cum bracteolis setaceis ssepi; intermixti. Perianthium simplex, 

 profundi 6-fidum, laciniis 3 exterioribus, 3 interioribus. Stamina 9, basi 

 subcoalita. Ovarium triquetrum. Styli 3, filiformes. Stigmata termi- 

 nalia, tenuia vel parum incrassata, capitata. Acheuium triquetrum vel 

 vix trialatum. 

 From the above description it will appear that there are considerable dif- 

 ferences in habit between Eriogone<v and tlie rest of Poli/gonacece ; yet when we 

 ()j)serve an approach to the dichotomous or verticillate inflorescence in several 

 Pohfgona {Aconogona and Cephalophila) and Kanigia ; the resemblance be- 

 tween the stipules of Polijgona {Avicidaria^ and those of Eriogoniim arigulo- 

 .tum ; the very great analogy between the organs of fructification in Rheum 

 and the Eriogonece, and that even in regard to the involucres, the oclircBeform 

 bracts* of many Polygona {Persicarice) may be assimilated to the involucra of 



* See Meisner, Monor/r. Ccn. I'oli/r/oiti, p. 22. 



