PLANTS OF BERMUDA. 1*7 



Closely allied to the foregoing is the Natural Order Balsaminacefe,, 

 distinguished from Gernniacecc by irregular flowers, spurred and 

 coloured sepals, and five stamens. This order is represented in 

 our gardens by the many- coloured varieties of Balsam {Iinpatlcm 

 hortensis) ; when ripe the capsules burst on being touched and 

 scatter the seeds with considerable force. 



The common garden Nastu.rtium {Tropmolicm majus) is also nearl}'- 

 allied to Geraniacece, and distinguished by the long spurred calyx 

 and three-lobed beakless fruit, which latter is used as a substitute 

 for capers. 



Nat : Orel : 18 Capparidacece (Tribe Cleomese). 



Herbs with palmately-divided leaves ; flowers in terminal 

 racemes ; sepals four ; petals four ; stamens numerous (six only in 

 some species), unequal in length, inserted below the ovary; ovary 

 composed of two united carpels, to the inner surface of which the 

 ovules are attached in two opposite lines ; fruit a one -celled, niany- 

 seeded, pod- shaped capsule, the two valves of which separate from 

 the persistent placenta. 



I. CLEOME. 



1. C. Viscosa. An erect, annual herb, all parts densely clothed 

 with sticky, glandular hairs ; stem twelve to eighteen inches, many- 

 ribbed ; raceme leafy, terminal ; leaves palmately divided to base 

 into three to five obovate entire segments ; sepals four, purple at 

 base ; petals four, leaving space for a fifth ; stamens fifteen to 

 twenty, very irregular, arising from glandular neck of ovary ; 

 stigma disc-shaped; capsule three inches long, quarter-inch in 

 diameter, round, tapering, ribbed ; seeds very numerous. Distri- 

 bution, West Indies ; habitat, fields around Hamilton. Flowers 

 yellow, half -inch in diameter ; Sex)tember. 



Nat : Orel : 19 J^itacece. 



Shrubby plants climbing by means of tendrils, which are oppo- 

 site to the leaves ; leaves simple or compound ; calyx entire or four 

 to five toothed ; petals four to five, inserted on outside of hypogy- 

 nous disc, sometimes cohering at top, and early falling off ; 

 stamens four to five, opposite the petals and inserted on disc ; 

 style simple ; ovary two -celled, cells two -seeded ; fruit a two to 

 four seeded berry. 



The Grape Vine ( Vitis mnifera) is the most important member of 

 this order. The grape thrives well in these islands, and would no 

 doubt be more largely cultivated than at present were it not for 

 the depredations of birds, rats, and other enemies. 



Cissiis Discolor, a pretty variegated creeper, has also been intro- 

 duced as a garden ornament. 



I. AMPELOrSIS. 



\. A. quinquefoUa or A. hcderacea (Vu'ginia creeper). A shrubby, 

 perennial vine, stem ascending walls, palings, etc., to which it 

 adlieres by discs on end of tendrils ; leaves digitate, with three to 



