412 DICOTYLEDONES. 



the scattered leaves are very small, sessile, scale-like or linear, adpressed, 

 entire, and usually glaucous, and the branches are slender and whip-like. The 

 flowers are borne in small spikes or racemes, and are small, reddish or whitish, 

 regular, , hypogynous and polypetalous ; formula So, P5, A5 + (Tamarix, 

 which often has stipular teeth at the base of the filaments), or A5 + o (Myricaria, 

 in which the stamens ar.e united at the base) ; the number 4 may appear instead 

 of 5, but in either case there is usually a tricarpeliate gynosceum, which is 

 ^m^locular and has either parietal placentae (Myricaria) or a small basal 

 placenta (Tamarix) ; 1 trifid style, or 3 styles. Capsule dehiscing along the 

 dorsal suture, and resembling the Willows in having a unilocular ovary with 

 numerous woolly seeds ; but the seed-wool in this case is borne on the chalaza, 

 and may be attached to a long stalk. Some Tamarix-species shed part of their 

 branches in the winter. 40 species ; North Temperate, on the sea-shores or 

 steppes, especially in Asia. Ornamental shrubs : Myricaria gennanica, and 

 Tamarix gallica. 



Order 8. Cistaceae. Shrubs or herbs, natives especially of 

 the Mediterranean region. Flowers generally in raceme-like 

 scorpioid cymes, regular, ^ , hypogynous ; sepals 5, free, tivisted 

 in the bud, of which the two outer are generally much smaller 

 than the others; petals 5, free, twisted in the bud (in the direction 

 opposite to the sepals), fugacious; stamens numerous; gynceceum 

 syncarpous, carpels usually 3-5, style simple, ovary unilocular, with 

 parietal placentation (seldom divided into loculi, with axile pla- 

 centation). The ovules are orthotropous in opposition to some of 

 the other orders of this family. The capsule dehisces along the 

 dorsal sutures ; embyro curved. The leaves are simple, undivided, 

 generally opposite and stipulate. They are Violaceas with regular flowers, 

 numerous stamens, and curved embryo. The numerous stamens are in reality 

 only one or two 5-merous whorls, divided into a large number of stamens ; these 

 are formed, therefore, in descending order, like the lobes of many compound 

 foliage-leaves. 



Helianthemum (Rock-Rose), has 3 carpels. Cistus has 5 (-10) 

 carpels. 



About 70 species ; temperate climates, especially about the Mediterranean. 

 The resin of the Cistus-species has been used medicinally (ladanum). 



Order 9. Bixaceae. This order is closely allied to the Cistacese and 

 Ternstroemiacea3 ; like these it has regular, 5-merous, hypogynous flowers with 

 numerous stamens, unilocular ovary and parietal placentze ; sometimes uni- 

 sexual flowers ; it differs in having anatrcpous ovules, in the aestivation of 

 the sepals, etc. All species (about 180) are trees or shrubs, with scattered, 

 simple leaves, which usually have stipules, and are occasionally dotted with 

 pellucid oil-glands. Bixa orellana (Trop. Am.) is the best known species; it 

 has a 2-valved capsule; the seeds are enclosed in a shiny red, fleshy testa, 

 which contains the well-known orange or yellow dye, annatto. 



