LOASEjE. I. BARTOXIA. 



61 



to the calyx (f. 1 0. a. f. 11. e.\ or inclosed within it, 1-celled, with 

 several parietal placentas (f. 11.), or with 1 free central lobed 

 one. Style 1, composed of 3-5-7-joined ones, crowned by as 

 many lobes or stigmas. Capsule dry or succulent, crowned by the 

 calyx (f. 10. d. f. 11. g. f. 12. c.), 1-celled, with several parietal 

 placentas (f. 11.), originating at the sutures, and therefore may 

 be called marginal, 3-4-7-valved ; placentas equal in number to 

 the valves, sometimes drawn out so far as to form dissepiments 

 (f. ll./.). Seeds numerous, without arillus. Embryo lying in 

 the axis of a fleshy albumen ; with the radicle pointing to the 

 hilum, and flat small cotyledons. American herbs more or less 

 pilose or hispid, with the hairs or bristles usually stinging like 

 those of the nettle, in consequence of their secreting an acrid 

 juice. Leaves opposite or alternate, exstipulate, simple, but 

 usually variously divided. Peduncles axillary, 1-flowered. 

 Flowers elegant. This order is distinguished from Onagrarieee 

 by its unilocular ovaria, and indefinite stamens, part of which 

 are sterile ; and perhaps by the latter character, and the addi- 

 tional 5 petals, connected with Passiflorece, with which they 

 sometimes also accord in habit. Their rigid stinging hairs, 

 climbing habit, and lobed leaves resemble those of some Urti- 

 cece. On the same account they may be compared with Cucur- 

 bitacete, with which they further agree in their inferior unilocular 

 fruit, with parietal placentas, and in the very generally yellow 

 colour of their flowers. This, indeed, is the order with which, 

 upon the whole, Loasece must be considered to have the closest 

 affinity. 



Synopsis of the genera. 



1 BARTONIA. Tube of calyx cylindrical (f. 10. a.); limb 5- 

 parted (f. 10. .). Petals 5-10 (f. 10. 6.), about equal in shape. 

 Stamens numerous (f. 10. c.). Capsule 3-7-valved ; each pla- 

 centa bearing 2 rows of seeds. 



2 BLUMENBA'CHIA. Tubeof calyx spirally twisted (f. 11. e.); 

 limb 5-parted (f. 1 !..) Petals 10 (f. 11. 6.); 5 outer ones 

 cucullate, and the 5 inner ones scale-formed, each scale inclosing 

 2 sterile filaments. Fertile stamens disposed in 5 bundles (f. 

 11. 6.). Fruit dividing into 10 parts at the base. 



3 LOA'SA. Tube of calyx not twisted (f. 12. a.) ; limb 5- 

 parted (f. 12. c.). Petals 10 (f. 12. 6.) ; the 5 inner ones scale- 

 formed, bearing 2 sterile filaments inside. Outer series of 

 stamens sterile and free ; inner ones disposed in 5 bundles, but 

 distinct. Capsule 1-celled, 3-valved at the apex. 



4 CAIOPHORA. The fruit is oval, bursting into 3 valves from 

 the base upwards ; the placentas then separate from the sides of 

 the capsule, and have the appearance of 3 arched columellee. 

 The rest as in Loasa. 



5 MENTZELIA. Tube of calyx cylindrical (f. 13. 6.) ; limb 

 5-lobed (f. 13. d.). Petals 5 (f. 13. a.). Stamens free, usually 

 disposed in bundles (f. 13. e.). Capsule turbinate, 3-valved, 

 few-seeded (f. 13./.). 



6 KLAPR6THIA. Calyx with a turbinate tube, and a 5- 

 parted limb. Petals 4. Stamens numerous, 4-5 sterile in front 

 of each sepal, and 4-5 fertile in front of each petal. Fruit 

 baccate, few-seeded. 



I. BARTO'NIA (Benj. S. Barton, M. D., professor of botany 

 at Philadelphia). Sims, bot. mag. t. 1487. Nutt. gen. amer. 

 1. p. 297. Pursh, fl. amer. sept. 1. p. 327. D. C. prod. 3. p 

 339. butnotofWilld. 



LIN. SYST. Icostindria, Monogynia. Tube of calyx cylin- 

 drical (f.10. a.), closely girding the ovarium, but probably distinct 

 from it ; limb 5-parted (f. 10. a.), permanent. Petals 5-10 (f. 10. 

 6.), unguiculate, the same shape, inserted in the calyx. Stamens 

 indefinite (f. 10. c.), inserted with the petals, but shorter than 

 them ; filaments free (f. 10. c.) ; outer ones sometimes sterile; 

 anthers oblong. Style filiform (f. 10. e.), marked with 3-7 spi- 

 ral stripes (f. 10. e.). Capsule oblong, 1-celled, 3-7-valved ; 

 placentas bearing 2 rows of seeds each. Seeds compres- 

 sed. Herbs downy from stiff and bearded hairs. Leaves 

 alternate, interruptedly pinnatifid. Flowers large, terminal, 

 solitary, white or yellow, expanding in the evening, becoming 

 reddish as they fade. 



1 B. ORNA'TA (Nutt. gen. amer. 1. p. 297.) lobes of leaves 

 acutish ; capsule surrounded by bracteas, 5-7-valved ; seeds some- 

 what emarginate. $ . F. Native of Upper Louisiana, in argil- 

 laceous soil, on the banks of the river Missouri. B. decapetala, 

 Sims, bot. mag. 1487. Petals 10, white. 



Ornamental Bartonia. Fl. Jul. Sept. Clt. 1811. PI. 1 to 2 ft. 



2 B. NU'DA (Nutt. 1. c.) lobes of leaves obtuse; capsule 3- 

 valved, naked ; seeds winged ; outer stamens petaloid, usually 

 sterile. $ . F. Native on the banks of the Missouri, on gra- 

 velly hills. Petals 10. 



Naked-fruited Bartonia. Fl. Jul. Sept. Clt. 1811. Pl.lto2ft. 



3 B. L/EVICAU'LIS (Dougl. mss. _, T _ 



ex Hook, fl. bor. amer. 1 . p. 22 1 . M*. 10. 



t. 69.) petals 5 ; petaloid stamens 



5 ; bracteas wanting ; stems 



very smooth ; seeds winged. 



H. Native of North America, 



on the gravelly islands and rocky 



shores of the Columbia, near the 



Great Falls. Flowers shining, 



yellow. An ornamental plant, 



not inferior to B. ornata, but 



differs from it in the want of the 



large, jagged bracteas, as well as 



in its fewer petals and winged 



seeds. 



Smooth-stemmed Bartonia. PI. 

 2 to 3 feet. 



4 B. PARVIFLORA (Dougl. mss. ex Hook. fl. bor. amer. 1. 

 p. 221.) petals 5; petaloid stamens 5-7; bracteas wanting; 

 stem scabrous ; seeds winged. $ . F. Native of North Ame- 

 rica ; abundant in calcareous rocky situations, and micacious 

 sandy banks of streams, in the interior parts of Columbia. 

 Flowers smaller than those of the preceding species, but it is 

 probably hardly more than a variety of that plant. It differs 

 from B. nuda, Nutt. in the number of the petals. The name 

 would be more applicable to the following species. 



Small-flowered Bartonia. PI. 1 to 2 feet. 



5 B. ALBICAU'LIS (Dougl. mss. ex Hook. fl. bor. amer. 1. p. 

 222.) petals 5, obovate, small ; petaloid stamens wanting ; brac- 

 teas wanting ; stems short, shining, white. O- H. Native of 

 North America, on arid sandy plains of the river Colombia, 

 under the shade of Purshia tridentata. Mentzelia albicaulis, 

 Dougl. mss. Acrolasia bartonioldes, Presl. reliq. Haenk. 2. p. 

 39. t. 55. Petals yellow. 



White-stemmed Bartonia. PI. decumbent. 



6 B. ALBE'SCENS (Arnott, in Cheek, journ. 3. p. 273.) stem 

 with a white shining epidermis ; leaves sinuately toothed ; cap- 

 sule naked, 3-valved; seed broadly marginate ; flowers dis- 



