Characters of the Botanical Alliances. 413 



foliaceous (some Polygonaceae). Flowers small (exc. some Nyc- 

 taginaceas). Sepals 2-6, more or less connate or minute (Salva- 

 doreae), not valvate, rarely tubular and then indurated (Scle- 

 ranthaceae, Nyctaginaceae), persistent. Corolla or small and se- 

 taceous and imperfect (some Illecebraceae) or membranous (Sal- 

 vadoreae), of as many divisions as the calyx. Stamens definite 

 (exc. Phytolaccaceae, some Petiveriaceae), not adelphous (exc. 

 Amarantaceae). Carpels 1 or 3 or 5 or more (some Phyto- 

 laccaceje), free from the calyx (exc. some Chenopodiaceae), more 

 or less connate with each other (exc. some Phytolaccaceae, some 

 Tetragoniaceae). Pericarp simple ; fruit a capsule or utricle 

 or berry or caryopsis or nut or pyxidium, or membranous 

 and dry and indehiscent. Stigmas not sessile (exc. some Ama- 

 rantacese, Salvadorese). Ovules solitary and attached to the 

 base with or without a funiculus, or numerous and attached 

 to a central placenta. Albumen (if any) farinaceous or fleshy 

 (some Phytolaccaceae, some Persicariae) ; embryo not enclosed 

 in a vitelline sac, nor in the albumen except in some cases of 

 apotropous radicle (Polygonaceae) ; embryo bent or amygda- 

 loid (exc. Petiveriaceae, Polygonaceae) ; radicle to the hilum 

 (exc. Polygonaceae). 



Inclining to a temperate habitat. 



16. PoLEMONiALEs. — Herbaccous or more or less frutescent, 

 not lactescent ; stipules 0. Sexes united. Calyx persistent. 

 Corolla of 5 divisions (exc. some Hydroleaceae), regular, mono- 

 petalous (exc. Staticeag). Stamens 5, not adelphous; anthers 

 2-celled, not opening by pores. Ovary free from the calyx. 

 Styles or their stigmas distinct. Ovides attached to the base 

 with or without a funiculus, ascending or peltate. Albumen 

 present, enclosing the embryo. Embryo straight, not antitro- 

 pous. 



17. BoKAGiNALES. — Not lactesccut ; asperifoliate ; stipules 

 0. Sexes united ; inflorescence circinate before flowering. 

 Calyx herbaceous, monophyllous, persistent. Corolla of 4 or 5 

 divisions, hypogynous, monopetalous, not plaited, imbricate, 

 deciduous. Disk more or less developed. Stamens as many 

 as the coroUine lobes, alternating, inserted on the tube, not 

 adelphous ; anthers bilocular, dehiscing by a longitudinal cleft, 



VOL. XXIV. NO. XLVIII. AVUIL 1838. K C 



