396 ILLECEBRACE.E. (KNOTWORT FAMILY.) 



or many-cleft. Berry nearly globose, at length dry. Embryo forming a ring 

 around the copious albumen. Cotyledons somewhat leafy, convolute. 

 Shrubs, with alternate minutely stipulate petioled leaves, and small white or 

 rose-colored flowers in axillary and terminal racemes. Bracts deciduous. 



1. B,. humilis, L. Closely pubescent or glabrous; stem with spreading 

 branches ; leaves oblong-ovate, rounded at the base, tapering but obtuse 

 at the summit, on long filiform petioles ; racemes slender, longer than the 

 leaves; calyx lobes obovate, pale rose-color; berry rounded, compressed. 

 -South Florida. Shrub l-2 high. Leaves I' -3' long. Flowers and 

 berries 1"-1" long. 



3. PHYTOLACCA, Tourn. POKEWEED. 



Calyx 3-bracted, 5-parted ; the lobes petal-like, rounded. Stamens 5 - 25 : 

 anthers elliptical. Ovary compound. Styles 5-12, short, distinct, recurved at 

 the apex, stigmatic within. Fruit a depressed globose berry, containing 5- 

 12 one-seeded iudehisceut carpels united in a circle. Embryo forming a ring 

 around the central albumen. Cotyledons linear. Erect branching herbs, 

 with entire petioled leaves. Flowers in racemes opposite the leaves. 



1. P. decandra, L. Smooth; stem very stout (2 -12 high) ; leaves 

 ovate-lanceolate, acute ; racemes many-flowered, as long as the leaves ; flowers 

 white, turning purplish ; stamens, styles, and carpels 10. Margins of fields 

 and uncultivated ground. July -Sept. 1J. Root large. Berry black. 



ORDER 107. ILLECEBRACE^E. (KNOTWORT FAMILY.) 



Herbs with opposite entire leaves, dry scarious stipules, and small 

 cymose or clustered flowers. Calyx of 5 more or less united sepals. 

 Stamens 2-5, inserted on the calyx, and often with bristle-like sterile 

 ones interposed. Styles 2, separate or united. Fruit a 1-seeded utricle. 

 Embryo circular, enclosing mealy albumen. 



Synopsis. 



1. PARONYCHIA. Sepals united at the base. Stamens inserted on the base of the sepals. 



Style long. Utricle included. 



2. ANYCHIA. Sepals distinct. Stamens inserted on the base of the sepals. Style very 



short. Utricle partly exserted. 



3. SIPHONYCHIA. Sepals united into a tube below the middle. Stamens inserted on the 



tube of the calyx. Style long. 



1. PARONYCHIA, Tourn. 



Sepals 5, united at the base, concave and mucronate or awued at the apex. 

 Sterile stamens bristle-like or tooth-like, alternate with the 5 fertile ones and 

 inserted with them on the base of the calyx. Style long, 2-cleft. Utricle 

 included. Seed resupinate. Radicle superior or ascending. Low herbs, 

 with conspicuous silvery stipules, and minute flowers in loose or compact 

 cymes. 



