502 CHLOKANTHACE^: SAURURACE^E PIPERACEjE. 



more than 1, connate ; anthers monothecal, with longitudinal dehis- 

 cence, each adnate to a fleshy connective. Ovary unilocular ; ovule 

 solitary, pendulous, orthotropal ; stigma sessile, simple. Fruit drupa- 

 ceous, indehiscent. Seed pendulous ; embryo minute, at the apex of 

 fleshy albumen ; cotyledons divaricate ; radicle inferior, remote from 

 the hilum. Herbs or undershrubs, with jointed stems, opposite, sim- 

 ple, stipulate leaves, sheathing petioles, and spiked flowers. Natives 

 of the warm regions of India and America. Some of them as Chlo- 

 ranthus officinalis, are aromatic and fragrant, and have been used as 

 stimulants and tonics. There are 3 known genera, and 15 species. 

 Example Chloranthus. 



1030. Order 174. Sanruracete, the Lizard's-tail Family. (Achla- 

 myd.) Flowers bisexual. Perianth 0, a scale or bract supporting the 

 flowers. Stamens 3-6, clavate, hypogynous, persistent; filaments 

 slender ; anthers 2-celled, continuous with the filament, with a thick 

 connective separating the lobes, dehiscence longitudinal. Ovaries 

 3-4, distinct, with 1 ascending orthotropal ovule, and a sessile recurved 

 stigma, or united so as to form a 3-4-celled pistil, with several ovules 

 and 3-4 stigmas. Fruit either consisting of 4 fleshy indehiscent nuts, 

 or a 1 -3-4-celled capsule, dehiscing at the apex, and containing a few 

 ascending seeds. Seeds with a membranous spermoderm ; embryo 

 minute, lying in a fleshy vitellus, outside of hard mealy albumen at 

 the apex of the seed. Herbs growing in marshy places, with alternate, 

 stipulate leaves, and spiked flowers. Natives of North America, India, 

 and China. Their properties are said to be acrid. There are 4 

 known genera, according to Lindley, and 7 species. Examples 

 Saururus, Houttuynia. 



1031. Order 175. Piperacete, the Pepper Family. (Achlamyd.) 

 Flowers g . Perianth 0, flowers supported on a bract. Stamens 2- 

 3-6, arranged on one side or all round the ovary; anthers 1- or 2- 

 celled, with or without a fleshy connective ; pollen roundish, smooth. 

 Ovary solitary, free, 1 -celled; ovule solitary, erect, orthotropal; stigma 

 simple, sessile, rather oblique. Fruit somewhat fleshy, indehiscent, 

 unilocular. Seed erect ; embryo in a fleshy vitellus outside the albu- 

 men, and at the apex of the seed. Shrubs or herbs, with articulated 

 stems, leaves opposite (sometimes alternate by abortion of one of the 

 pair of leaves), or verticillate, exstipulate or stipulate, and spiked or 

 racemose flowers. Natives of the hottest quarters of the globe. 

 Common in South America and India. The wood is often arranged 

 in wedges, with medullary rays, but without concentric zones. There 

 are 21 known genera, and upwards of 600 species. Examples 

 Piper, Artanthe, Peperomia. 



1032. The plants of the order have pungent, acrid, and aromatic 

 properties. Most of them contain an acrid resin, and a crystalline 

 principle called Piperin, in which their active qualities reside. Some 



