84 



PORTULACEjE. XVI. AYLMERIA. XVII. HVDROPYXIS. PARONYCHIE^. 



Mart, amaranth, p. 68. nov. act. bonn. 13. p. 276. D.C. prod. 

 3. p. 263. 



LIN. SYST. Monadelphtd, Pentdndria. Calyx 2-parted, co- 

 loured. Petals 5. Stamens 10, joined into a membranous hy- 

 pogynous tube ; the 5 outer ones abortive ; and the 5 inner ones 

 opposite the petals, bearing 2-celled anthers. Style 1 ; stigma 

 depressed, capitate. Utriculus membranous, valveless. Seeds 

 numerous, lentiform, in the bottom of the cell. Australian pe- 

 rennial herbs. Stems terete, jointed, dichotomous upwards. 

 Leaves linear, opposite, or in whorls. Stipulas scarious. Flowers 

 beautifully coloured, in terminal corymbs. According to Mar- 

 tius, the genus is related to Paronychiece, but this is doubtful, 

 in consequence of the stamens being hypogynous, and also par- 

 ticularly so in their being opposite the sepals. The calyx is of 

 2 sepals, as in Portulaca, and the petals are 5, as in most of the 

 order, and the stamens are 10, as in Tridnthema. 



1 A. ROSEA (Mart. 1. c.) stems straightish, and are, as well as 

 the leaves, glabrous ; stipulas ciliately serrulated ; corymb com- 

 pact. If. . G. Native of New Holland, on the western coast. 

 Flowers rose-coloured. 



./Jose-coloured- flowered Aylmeria. PI. 1 foot. 



2 A. VIOLATE A (Mart. 1. c.) stems diffusely dichotomous, and 

 are as well as the leaves glabrous ; stipulas quite entire ; co- 

 rymb loose. I/.. G. Native of New Holland, on the west 

 coast. Flowers violaceous. 



FtWaceojw-flowered Aylmeria. PI. 1 foot. 



Cult. See Ginginsia for culture and propagation, p. 83. 



XVII. HYDROPY'XIS (from Mwp, hydor, water, and 

 7ru4<e, pyxis, a box ; the plant is an inhabitant of water, and the 

 capsule resembles a box, from its opening transversely). Rafin. 

 fl. lud. p. 94. D. C. prod. 3. p. 364. 



LIN. SYST. Tetrdndria, Monogynia. Calyx permanent, 5- 

 parted, bibracteate on the outside ; the two inner lobes the 

 smallest. Corolla peripetalous (perhaps inserted in the calyx), 

 crateriform, unequally 5-lobed. Stamens 4, didynamous, inserted 

 in the corolla ; anthers hastate. Ovarium superior. Style 

 simple, crowned by a capitate 3-lobed stigma. Capsule 1 -celled, 

 many-seeded, triangular, opening transversely. Central pla- 

 centa free. This genus is likely to be nearer related to Utricu- 

 laria than to any other. 



1 H. PALU'STRIS (Rafin. 1. c.) Native of Louisiana, in ditches 

 and marshes. Pourpier desmarais, Robin, voy. p. 488. Stems 

 creeping, prostrate. Flowers axillary, pedunculate, solitary, 

 white. 



Marsh Hydropyxis. PL creeping. 



Cult. This plant should be grown in a pot filled with peat, 

 and placed in a deep pan of water. It is easily propagated by 

 separating the runners. 



ORDER CXI. PARON YCHIFvE (plants agreeing with Pa- 

 ronychia- in important characters). St. Hil. plac. lib. p. 56. 

 Juss. mem. mus. 1. p. 387. Herniariae, Cat. hort. par. (1777.), 

 Illecebreae, R. Br. prod. p. 413. Lindl. intr. nat. ord. p. 164. 



Calyx of 5 sepals (f. 21. a. f. 22. a.), seldom of 3-4 ; sepals 

 sometimes separate to the base, sometimes joined to the middle 

 (f. 22. a.), and sometimes nearly to the apex (f. 24. a.). Pe- 

 tals small, scale-formed (f. 22. a.), emulating sterile stamens, 

 inserted upon the calyx between the lobes, occasionally wanting 

 (f. 23. a.), or converted into superabundant stamina. Stamens 

 perigynous, exactly opposite the sepals (f. 22. a.}, if equal to 

 them in number, but sometimes fewer by abortion ; filaments 

 distinct ; anthers 2-celled (f. 21. c.). Ovarium free. Styles 2-3, 



either distinct (f. 24. a.), or partially combined (f. 22. d.). Fruit 

 small, dry, 1 -celled, usually membranous, either valveless and 

 indehiscent, or opening with 3 valves. Seeds either numerous, 

 fixed to a free central placenta, or solitary and pendulous, upon 

 a funicle, arising from the base of the cavity of the fruit. Al- 

 bumen farinaceous. Embryo cylindrical, lying on one side of 

 the albumen, curved more or less, with the radicle always point- 

 ing towards the hylum. Cotyledons small. Herbaceous or 

 half- shrubby branching plants, with opposite or alternate, often 

 fascicled, entire, sessile leaves and scarious stipulas. Flowers 

 small, usually whitish green, sometimes sessile and axillary, and 

 sometimes variously disposed in terminal cymes. Bracteas sca- 

 rious, analogous to the stipulas. 



This order comes very near Portulacece, Amarantaceee, and 

 Caryophyllece, from which it is distinguished with difficulty. 

 By excluding the section Sclerdnthece, their scarious stipula will 

 distinguish them from the two last-mentioned orders, and there 

 is scarcely any other character that will ; for there are Caryo- 

 phylleee that have perigynous stamens, as Ldrbrea and Adena- 

 rium ; and Paronychiece which have hypogynous ones, as Poly- 

 carpce'a, Slipuldcida, and Ortegia. From Portulacece it is 

 scarcely to be known with absolute certainty, except by the 

 position of the stamens before the sepals instead of the petals. 

 With Crassulacece, particularly Tillce'a, they agree very mucli 

 in habit, but their concrete carpella will always distinguish them. 

 De Candolle comprehends in.th order various plants without 

 stipulas ; but as the latter organs seem to be an essential part of 

 their character, the tribes Queriaceae and Minuartieee are ex- 

 cluded, and will be found elsewhere. 



Synopsis of the genera. 

 TRIBE I. 



TELEPHIE\S;. Calyx 5-parled(f. 21. a.). Petals and stamens 

 5, inserted in the bottom of the calyx (f. 21. b.). Styles 3 (f. 

 21. e.) free, or connected together a little at the base. Leaves 

 alternate, stipulaceous. 



1 TELE'PHIUM. Styles 3, spreadingly reflexed, concrete at 

 the base. Capsule pyramidal, trigonal, 3-valved, 3-celled at 

 the base, and 1 -celled at the apex. Seeds numerous, fixed to 

 the central placenta, in 6 rows. 



2 CORRIGIOLA. Style short ; stigmas 3 (f. 21. e.). Capsule 

 1 -seeded, indehiscent, covered by the calyx. Seed suspended 

 by a funicle, originating at the bottom of the capsule. 



TRIBE II. 



ILLECE'BRE^;. Calyx 5-parted (f. 22. a.). Petals 5 or want- 

 ing. Stamens 2-3, inserted in the bottom of the calyx (f. 22. a.). 

 Styles free or somewhat concrete at the base (f. 22. d.~). Capsule 

 indehiscent, l-seeded. Funicle long, rising from the bottom of 

 the capsule, bearing a subpendulous seed at the apex. Herbs, 

 rarely subshrubs. Leaves opposite, acute, mith scarious stipulas. 



3 HERNIA'RIA. Calyx almost 5-parted. Scales or petals 5, 

 filiform, entire, but sometimes wanting or very small. Stamens 5, 

 or only 2-3 from abortion. Styles 2, short, distinct, or concrete 

 at the base. Capsule covered by the calyx. 



