700 



ONAGRARI^i. XVII. ONOSURUS. FiYDROCARYES. I. TRAPA. HALORAGE.E. 



XVII. ONOSU'RUS (meaning unknown to us, but appears 

 to be derived from croc, onos, an ass, and ovpa, oura, a tail ; but 

 the application is not evident). Rafin. lud. p. 96. D. C. prod. 

 3. p. 04. Chamissonia, Link, in jarb. der gevvasch. 1818. p. 

 186. but not of Hmnb. and Kunth. 



LIN. SYST. Octdndria, Munogynia. Tube of calyx adhering 

 to the ovarium ; limb 2-parted ; lobes reflexed, deciduous, ex 

 Rafin. Petals 4, inserted at the base of the limb of the calyx. 

 Stamens 8. Stigma quadrifid. Capsule 4-celled, 4-valved. 

 This genus is hardly known. It is probably not distinct from 

 (Enothera. 



1 O. ACUMINA'TA (Rafin. 1, c.) petals obcordate. Q. H. Na- 

 tive of Louisiana. CEnothera, no. 3. Robin, louis. p. 490. 

 Stem thick, 7 feet high, hairy. Leaves crowded, sessile, lan- 

 ceolate, acuminated, somewhat bluntly and remotely toothed. 



j4cuminatcd-leaved Onosurus. PI. 7 feet. 



Cult. The seeds of this plant should be sown in the open 

 border. 



ORDER XCIII. FIYDROCA'RYES (from vtop, lit/dor, water, 

 and Kapvov, caryon, a nut; water nuts). Link, enum. 1. p. 141. 

 Lindl. introd. nat. syst. p. 58. Onagrariae, Tribe vi. ? Hydroca- 

 ryes, D. C. prod. 3. p. 63. 



Calyx superior, 4-parted (f. 101. c.), with the tube adhering 

 to the ovarium. Petals 4 (f. 101. 6.), arising from the throat of 

 the calyx. Stamens 4, alternating with the petals. Ovarium (f. 

 101. a.) 2-celled. Ovulas solitary, pendulous. Style filiform, 

 thickened at the base. Stigma capitate. Fruit hard, indehis- 

 cent, 1 -celled, 1 -seeded, crowned by the indurated segments of 

 the calyx. Seed large, solitary, pendulous, exalbuminous. Co- 

 tyledons 2, very unequal. Floating herbs. Lower leaves op- 

 posite, upper ones alternate ; those under water cut into capillary 

 segments; petioles tumid in the middle (f. 101. e.). Flowers 

 small, axillary. 



This order is closely allied to Onagrarice, from which it is 

 distinguished by its solitary pendulous ovules ; more closely 

 allied to Halorageee, from which it is distinguished only by the 

 very large seeds, unequal cotyledons, developed calyx, and want 

 of albumen. Seeds of all eatable. 



I. TRA'PA (abridged from calcitrapa, the Latin name of an 

 instrument called callrops, furnished with four spines, formerly 

 used in war to impede the progress of cavalry ; in reference to 

 the fruit of some of the species being furnished with 4 spines). 

 Lin. gen.no. 157. Lam. ill. t. 73. Gaertn. fruct. 1. p. 127. t. 

 26. D. C. prod. 3. p. 63. Tribuloides, Tourn. inst. t. 431. 



LIN. SYST. Tetrdndria, Monogynia. Being no other genus, 

 the character is therefore the same as that of the order. The 

 lower leaves of all the species are capillaceously multifid, as in 

 Myriophyllum, the upper or floating ones are deltoid and toothed, 

 and disposed in a rosulate manner. 



' * Fruit furnished with 4 horns. 



1 T. NA'TANS (Lin. spec. 175. exclusive of the synonyme of 

 Rheede,) horns of fruit disposed in a cross-like manner, acute, 

 and furnished with a small retrograde beard at the apex, 2 upper 

 ones spreading horizontally, 2 lower ones somewhat ascending. 

 O- W. H. Native of the temperate parts of Europe and 

 Siberia, in stagnant and slow running water. Schkuhr, handb. 

 t. 25. Mirb. ami. mus. 16. p. 447. t. 19. D. C. org. veg. t. 55. 



Ker. bot. reg. 88. Cam. epit. 715. with a figure. Flowers 

 white, the claws of the petals short and purplish. The nuts are 

 esteemed farinaceous, nourishing, and pectoral. The calyx with 

 its spines or indurated lobes being removed, there is a white 

 sweet kernel within, somewhat like a chestnut in taste ; they are 

 sold in the markets at Venice under the name of Jesuits' nuts. 

 At Vercelli they are called galarin, and are much eaten there by 

 the common people and children. Pliny says that the Thracians 

 made them into bread. According to Thunberg the roots of this 

 or some other species are commonly boiled in broth in Japan, 

 though the taste is by no means pleasant. 



Floating Water-caltrops. Fl. June, Aug. Clt. 1781. PI. fl. 



2 T. QUADRISPINOSA (Roxb. fl. hid. 1. p. 451.) horns of fruit 

 stiff, acute, spinose, disposed in a cross-like manner. If. . W. S. 

 Native of Silhet, floating in lakes. Flowers white. The rest 

 unknown. Nuts eatable. 



Four-spined Water-caltrops. Fl. June, Aug. Clt. 1823. PI. fl. 



** Fruit furnished with 2 horns only. 



3 T. BISPINOSA (Roxb. FIG. 101. 

 cor. t. 234. fl. ind. 1. p. 



449.) horns of fruit oppo- 

 site, stiff, acute, spinose, 

 and bearded ; floating 

 leaves rather quadrate, 

 serrulately toothed, to- 

 mentose beneath. O- W. 

 S. Native of the East 

 Indies, floating in water. 

 Rheed. mal. 11. p. 64. 

 t. 33. Shringata, Jones in 

 asiat. res. 2. p. 350. and 

 4. p. 253. Petioles fur- 

 nished with a large bladder in the middle. Petals white. Nec- 

 tary cupulate, curled. The nuts are sold in the markets in many 

 parts of the East Indies, the kernels being much esteemed by 

 the Hindoos. 



7W-.?pmed-fruited Water-caltrops. Fl. June, Aug. Clt. 

 1822. PI. fl. 



4 T. BICO'RNIS (Lin. fil. suppl. 128.) horns of fruit opposite, 

 thick, very blunt, somewhat recurved at the apex ; floating leaves 

 quadrate, entire, or a little toothed. Q. W. G. Native of 

 China, about Canton, floating in water ; it is also cultivated by the 

 Chinese for the sake of its fruit. Gaertn. fruct. 2. t. 89. T. 

 Chinensis, Lour. coch. p. 86. Braam, icon. chin. 1821. t. 22. 

 Burin, in Plum. icon. fasc. 3. p. 56. t. 67. the lower figure. 

 Flowers white. 



Two-horned-frmted Water-caltrops. Fl. June, Aug. Clt. 

 1790. PI. fl. 



5 T. COCHINCHINE'NSIS (Lour. coch. p. 86.) horns of fruit 

 thick, obtuse, opposite, somewhat recurved at the apex ; leaves 

 oblong, cut at the apex, tomentose beneath. O- W. H. Native 

 of Cochin-china, floating in stagnant water. Flowers white, on 

 long peduncles. The seeds are eatable, and taste like chestnuts. 



Cochin-china Water-caltrops. Fl. June, Aug. PI. fl. 



Cult. The seeds of the species of Trapa require to be sown 

 or thrown into a cistern, or pond, or large pan of water, with rich 

 loamy soil in the bottom. They all grow best in a strong heat. 

 T. natans grows well in a pond in the open air. 



ORDER XCIV. HALORA'GEiE (plants agreeing with Halo- 

 ragis in important characters). R. Br. gen. rem. (1814.) p. 

 17. B.C. prod. 3. p. 65. 



Tube of calyx adhering the whole length of the ovarium (f. 



