270 



CAPPARIDE^:. 



in the open border, and the plants afterwards treated as other 

 hardy annuals. 



ORDER XV. CAPPARI'DE^E (plants agreeing with Cap- 

 pans in many important characters.) Juss. gen. 242. ann. mus. 

 18. p. 4,74:. D. C. prod. 1. p. 237. 



Parts of flower usually imbricate in the bud. Sepals 4 (f. 52. 

 a. f. 53. a.), seldom more, sometimes almost free, equal or un- 

 equal, sometimes connected at the base into a tube (f. 54. a.) with 

 a variable limb. Petals 4 (f. 52. b. f. 53./.), seldom more, cru- 

 ciate, usually unguiculated (f. 52. 6.) and unequal. Stamens 

 almost perigynous, inserted at the bottom of the calyx (f. 52. c. 

 f. 53. d.), rarely tetradynamous, usually disposed in a quater- 

 nary order, definite (f. 54. rf.) or indefinite (f. 53. e. f. 52. c.). 

 Torus hemispherical or elongated (f. 52. d. f. 54. c.), usually 

 bearing glands. Stipe of ovary slender (f. 52. d. f. 54. e.), rising 

 from the torus ; the ovary is therefore stipitate (f. 52. /. f. 54. e.). 

 Ovary composed of 2 or more closely-joined carpels. Style none 

 (f. 53. c. f. 54. e.) or filiform. Fruit variable, siliquose (f. 54. e.). 

 or baccate (f. 52. f.), 1-celled, but rarely 1-seeded, usually with 

 2 or more many-seeded placentas, in the dehiscent fruit these are 

 intervalvular. Seeds usually kidney-shaped without albumen. 

 Embryo incurved. Cotyledons leafy, flat, somewhat incum- 

 bent. Herbs, shrubs, or trees, either with or without stipulas, 

 but when they are present they are in the form of spines. The 

 leaves are alternate, simple, or palmately compound. The dis- 

 position of the flowers is variable. This order differs from 

 Cructferce in the receptacle being hemispherical or elongated, as 

 well as in the fruit being destitute of a dissepiment, and the seeds 

 being without an umbilical cord, and in the very different dis- 

 position of the stamens. It differs from Flacourtianece in the 

 seeds never being inwrapped in a pulpy pellicle. 



The plants contained in this order partake of the properties of 

 Cructferte. The different kinds of Capers are reputed to be 

 stimulating, antiscorbutic and aperient. The bark of the root of 

 the common Caper passes for a diuretic medicine. Several 

 species of the Clebmeee have an acrid taste, which has been com- 

 pared to that of mustard. The root of Polanisia graveolens is 

 employed as a vermifuge in the United States, and the leaves of 

 P. dodecdndra produce an inflammation on the skin, whence 

 they are used in Cochin-china as a sinapism. Most of the 

 plants contained in this order have beautiful flowers. 



The seeds of those plants belonging to tribe Clebmeee are 

 easily introduced, in a living state, from any part of the world : 

 but the seeds of those belonging to tribe Cappareae soon become 

 rancid, therefore they are truly difficult to introduce in a vege- 

 tative state, and on that account very few of this tribe are to be 

 seen in the gardens. 



Synopsis of the Genera. 



TRIBE I. 



CLEO>ME.SE. Fruit truly capsular, with membranous dehiscent 

 valves. Herbs or sub-shrubs with compound leaves, usually 

 clothed niith glandular down. 



1 CLEOME'LLA. Calyx of 4-spreading sepals. Petals 4. Re- 

 ceptacle ovate-globose. Stamens 6, free. Silicle stipitate within 

 the calyx, shorter than broad. 



2 PERI'TOMA. Calyx cut round about at the base, 4-toothed 

 at the apex. Petals 4. Receptacle small. Stamens 6, mona- 

 delphous at the base. Silique stipitate. 



3 GYNANDRO'PSIS. Calyx of 4-spreading sepals. Petals 4. 

 Receptacle elongated. Stamens 6, monadelphous around the 

 torus, and free at the top. Silique stipitate. 



4 CLEO'ME. Calyx of 4-spreading, nearly equal sepals. Pe- 

 tals 4. Receptacle somewhat hemispherical. Stamens 6, rarely 

 4, free. Silique stipitate or sessile. 



5 POIANI'SIA. Calyx of 4-spreading sepals. Petals 4. Sta- 

 mens 8-32, free. Receptacle small. Silique sessile or on a short 

 stipe, terminated by a distinct style. 



6 PHYSOSTE'MON. Calyx of 4 sepals. Petals 4. Stamens 

 6-8, unequal, free, inflated under the anthers. Receptacle mar- 

 ginate. Silique sessile. 



7 CORYNA'NDRA. Calyx of 4 sepals. Petals 4. Stamens 

 numerous ; filaments clavated, and coloured at the top ; anthers 

 curved. Silique sessile, 2-valved. 



TRIBE II. 



CAPPA'RE*. Fruit rather Jleshy, indehiscent (f. 52. /.). 

 Shrubs and trees, rarely herbs, with simple or ternate leaves. 



8 CRAIOVA. Sepals 4. Petals 4, larger than the calyx. 

 Stamens 8-28. Torus elongated or hemispherical. Berry sti- 

 pitate, ovate-globose, pulpy inside. 



9 RITCHIE* A. Calyx of 4 sepals, valvate in the bud. Pe- 

 tals 4, much longer than the calyx. Stamens 10-20, incurved. 

 Torus elevated, glanduliferous. Berry stipitate, globose, crown- 

 ed by a sessile stigma. 



10 NIEBI/HRIA. Sepals 4, valvate in the bud. Petals want- 

 ing, or shorter than the calyx. Torus cylindrical, very short. 

 Stamens indefinite. Berry stipitate, ovate or cylindrical. 



11 BOSCIA. Sepals 4. Petals none. Stamens 12-20, in- 

 serted in the short torus. Berry stipitate, globose, 1-seeded. 



1 2 CA'DABA. Sepals 4. Petals 4 or wanting. Nectary strap- 

 formed, emanating from the base of the sub-cylindrical torus. 

 Stamens 4-5, monadelphous at the base. Berry stipitate, cylin- 

 drical. 



13 SCHEPPE'RIA. Sepals 4, spreading. Petals 4. Torus 

 elongated. Stamens 8, monadelphous around the torus, but 

 free at the top. Nectary concave at the base of the torus. 

 Silique fleshy, stipitate. 



14 SODA'S A. Sepals 4, the superior one is large and con- 

 cave. Petals 4. Stamens 8 ? Torus small. Ovary ovate, 4- 

 furrowed, on a long stipe. 



15 CA'PPARIS. Calyx 4-parted (f. 52. a.). Petals 4 (f. 52. 

 b.). Torus small (f. 52. e.). Stamens numerous (f. 52. c.). 

 Silique somewhat baccate, stipitate (f. 52._/.). Stipe long and 

 slender (f. 52. d.). 



16 STEPHA'NIA. Calyx campanulate, 2-lobed (f. 54. .). 

 Petals 4 (f. 54. &.). Torus small (f. 54. c.). Stamens 6 (f. 54. 

 rf.). Ovary oblong, stipitate (f. 54. e.~). 



17 MORISONIA. Calyx obovate, bifid. Petals 4. Torus small. 

 Stamens 20, somewhat monadelphous at the base. Berry glo- 

 bose, stipitate. 



1 8 TOVA'RIA. Calyx usually of 8 sepals, with an equal num- 



