260 DICOTYLEDONS. XLLECEBRJS. Scleranthus. 



Valve* bearing the septa in their middle. Embryo straight, 



surrounded by a small portion of albumen. 

 Herbs with opposite or alternate leaves. Flowers axillary, often 



in a whorled spike. Mirb. 



1. LYTHRUM. 

 Cal. cylindrical, with 12 teeth, alternately smaller. Stam. 12, 



in two rows. Capsule oblong. 

 1. L. Salicariaj leaves opposite cordato-lanceolate, flowers spiked 



with 12 stam. p. 147. Marshy places. 



2. PEPLIS. 



Cal. campanulate, the teeth alternately reflexed. Slam. 6, short. 

 1. P. Portula, flowers axillary solitary, leaves obovate. p. 111. 



Marshes. 



ORDER XLV. ILLECEBRE.E. Br, 



(Paronychice Aug. Juss.) 



Cal. of one leaf, 5 -parted or nearly so. Pet. 5 inserted into the 

 cal., often resembling scales or barren filaments, sometimes 

 wanting. Slam, definite, rarely more or less than 5, distinct. 

 Anthers round. Style \ and Stigma simple or divided ; or 

 styles and Stigmas several. Fruit capsular, sometimes 1 -seeded, 

 closed or opening at the top, sometimes 1 -celled, many-celled, 

 with many valves at the top. Seeds in the monospermous ge- 

 nera often suspended by a chord originating in the base of the 

 capsule ; in those with many seeds placed on a central, little 

 elevated placenta. Embryo mostly curved and subcylindrical, 

 placed on the outside of a farinaceous albumen, with a radicle 

 ascending and pointing towirds the hilum ; in a few scarcely 

 curved, with an inferior radicle. 



Herbs or Under shrubs, with opposite branches. Leaves sometimes 

 opposite with stipules and stalks; sometimes connate and ses- 

 sile without stipules. Flowers terminal or axillary, naked or 

 with scarious bractese. Juss. 



l.SCLERANTHUS. 



Cal. tubular, contracted at the neck, above 5-cleft. Pet. 0. Stam. 

 mostly 10 placed in the top of the calyx. Styles and Stigmas 2. 

 Capsule 1 -seeded. 



1. S. annuus, " cal. of the fruit spreading acute, stems patent." 

 p. \33.-Cornfields. 



2. S. perennis, " cal. of the fruit closed obtuse, stems procum- 

 bent." p. 133. Sandy places. 



ORDER XLVI. ROSACELE. Juss. 



Cal. superior or inferior, divided. Cor. polypetalous, sometimes 



