382 xlviii. rosacea (oliver). [Neurada. 



A woody tomento.se annual, with diffuse or procumbent branches. 

 Leaves alternate, petiolate, ovate-oblong or ovate, obtusely serrate- 

 pinnatifid, obtuse, cuneate or rounded at base. Stipules concealed in 

 the tomentum or obsolete. Flowers axillary, solitary, pedunculate. 



1. N. procumbens, Linn.; DC. Prod. ii. 548. Leaves usually 

 J-f in. long", with 1- to 3 or 4 obtuse lobes on each side, tomentose ; 

 petiole equalling" or shorter than lamina. Flowers roundish, densely 

 tomentose and with projecting* setiform bracteoles ; 2—3 lines in dia- 

 meter. Fruit \- § in. in diameter, orbicular with the margin and upper 

 surface aculeate with nearly equal prickles, or symmetrically spinosely- 

 lobate with few aculei above. 



Nile Land. Nubia (Schweinf. et Asch. Enum.) 



Also in Northern Africa and eastward through Arabia to Scinde. 



The small allied Cape genus of low annual herbs Grielurn, has not, that I am aware 



of, been found north of the Tropic of Capricorn, though probably intertropical in S.W. 



Africa. It differs in its large flowers with conspicuous petals, and in the absence of the 



calycine bracteoles. 



Order XLIX. SAXIFRAGACE-ffi. (By Prof. Oliver.) 



(Saxifrages and Brexie^e.) 



Flowers regular, hermaphrodite. Calyx 5-merous, free or more or 

 less adnate to the Ovary, lobes imbricate or valvate. Petals perigynous 

 epigynous or subhypogynous, alternate with calyx-lobes, rarely 0. 

 Stamens iso- or diplo-stemonous, inserted with the petals ; filaments 

 free ; anthers 2-celled, dehiscing longitudinally. Ovary free or adnate 

 more or less to inferior, 5-2- or 1-celled ; ovules indefinite ; styles 

 usually 2, free or cohering or 1 in Breccia. Fruit a capsule or drupa- 

 ceous. Seeds indefinite.- — Herbs. Leaves rarely opposite, exstipulate. 

 Inflorescence various. (Shrub with coriaceous leaves in Breccia.) 



Tribes of a rather large Natural Order, most, of the genera of which affect a cool or 

 even arctic or alpine climate. 



Herbs. Styles 2. 



Stamens 10. Ovary 2-celled, with axile placentas 1. Saxifraoa, 



Stamens 5. Ovary 1-celled, with 2 pendulous placentas . . . .2. Vahlia* 



Shrub. Style 1. Ovary 5-celled . . ' 3. Beexia. 



1. SAXIFRAGA, Linn. ; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant, i. 635. 



Calyx more or less deeply 5-lobed, tube free or coherent to the ovary. 

 Petals 5, perigynous or subhypogynous. Stamens 10 or 5, inserted 

 with the petals. Ovary free or more or less adnate to the calyx-tube, 

 2-celled ; styles 2 ; ovules indefinite on axile placentas. Fruit a 2- 

 beaked many-seeded capsule, opening at the apex between the remains 

 of the styles.- — Herbs, very various in habit. Leaves radical or cauline, 

 rarely opposite, entire or iobed or laciniate. Flowers white, yellow or 

 purple, variously cymose or solitary. 



