A SYNOPSIS OF THE PLANT KINGDOM 



51 



covering the ovary like a hood; anthers coherent; 

 ovary superior, 5-celled; ovules 3 to many in each cell; 

 stigmas sessile: fruit a 5-valved capsule, the valves of 

 which coil up elastically and forcibly distribute the 

 seeds, or sometimes a 5-celled drupe-like structure. 



Contained in this family are 2 genera and about 220 

 species, of which all but 1 belong to the genus Impa- 

 tiens; widely distributed, but most abundant in the 

 tropics of the Old World, wanting in South America. 

 The family is closely related to the Geraniacese, with 

 which it was formerly united, but is distinguished by 

 the 5 peculiar hypogynous stamens. The honey-spur 

 in this family is an outgrowth of the sepals, and not of 

 the receptacle as in Pelargonium and Tropseolum. 

 There are extra-floral nectaries on the foliage of some 

 species, which attract protective ants. 



The sap of several species of Impatiens has been used 

 as a dye to color red or yellow: that of 7. 61 'flora (North 

 America) staining yellow; that of /. Balsamina (India) 

 staining red, and used to color the skin and finger- 

 nails. The tubers of /. tinctoria of Abyssinia are used 

 for dyeing the feet and hands red or black. Some species 

 have been used as medicine. Many are ornamental. 



There are several species of Impatiens in the North 

 American trade: /. aurea and /. biflora are the east 

 American touch-me-nots or jewel- weeds; 7. Balsamina 

 is the garden balsam; the other species are greenhouse 

 plants. 



Order 40. RHAMNALES 



133. Rhamnaceae from the genus Rhamnus, the old 

 Greek name). BUCKTHORN FAMILY. Fig. 36. Trees or 

 shrubs, rarely herbs, sometimes spiny or climbing: 

 leaves simple, mostly alternate: flowers bisexual or 

 unisexual, regular, perigynous, small, greenish, mostly 

 axillary; sepals 5, rarely 4, valvate; petals 5, or 4, 

 alternate with the sepals; stamens of the same number 

 as the petals and opposite them ; an intrastaminal disk 

 lining the cup-shaped receptacle; ovary 2-4-celled, 

 superior or inferior; cells 1-, rarely 2-, ovuled; styles 

 2-4, more or less connate: fruit drupaceous, or winged, 

 or capsular. 



Rhamnaceae has 46 genera and about 550 species 

 very generally distributed over the earth. Rhamnus is 

 the largest genus (70 species), and the most widely 

 distributed. The family is represented by 6 native 

 species in northeastern North America. It is most 

 closely related to the Vitacese and Celastraceae, differing 

 from the former in the simple entire leaves and 

 strongly perigynous flowers, and from the latter in the 

 stamens being opposite the petals. 



The family is not of great economic importance. The 

 berries and bark of Rhamnus cathartica (buckthorn) 

 contain a bitter principle which is purgative. The 

 fruits of some species of Rhamnus yield yellow or green 

 dyes of some importance R. dahurica and R. tinc- 

 toria give Chinese green. The bark of R. cathartica 

 and R. Frangula (Europe) is used to dye yellow. R. 

 Purshiana (California) is the cascara segrada of 

 medicine, a strong purgative. The fruits of Zizyphus 

 Lotus are pulpy and agreeable, and were much prized 

 by the ancients. The fruits of several species of Zizy- 

 phus are eaten in various parts of the Old World. The 

 spiny branches of Paliiirus Spina-Christi or Zizyphus 

 Spina-Christi are thought to have been those from 

 which the crown of thorns was made. 



Nine or more genera are in cultivation in N. America 

 for ornamental purposes. These are: Ceanothus (New 

 Jersey Tea); Berchemia (Supple Jack); Gouania; 

 Hovenia; Paliurus; Pomaderris; Reynosia; Rhamnus 

 (Buckthorn); Zizyphus (Jujube). 



134. Vitacese (from the genus Vitis, the classical 

 name). GRAPEFAMILY. Fig. 36. Mostly climbing shrubs 

 with tendrils, seldom upright shrubs or small trees: 

 leaves alternate or opposite, very diverse: flowers bisex- 

 ual, or unisexual, small, numerous, regular; sepals 4-5, 



rarely 3-7, minute or obsolete; petals 4-5, rarely 3-7, 

 valvate, separate (gamopetalous in Leea); stamens 

 4-5, rarely 3-7, opposite the petals, somewhat pe- 

 rigynous; disk evident, annular or of separate lobes; 

 ovary superior, 2-, rarely 3-6-, celled, with 2, or rarely 

 1, ovule in each cell; style 1 or 0; stigma capitate or 

 peltate: fruit a berry; seeds albuminous. 



The 11 genera and about 450 species are mostly of 

 tropical and subtropical distribution. Fourteen species 

 reach the northeastern United States. The largest 

 genus is Cissus with 250 species. Some fossil forms 

 are known. The Vitacese are closely related to the 

 Rhamnaceae. The climbing habit, the few stamens 

 opposite the petals, the 2-carpelled berry, and the 

 capitate stigma are distinctive. 



The petals in Vitis remain connate at the tip as in 

 the bud, but separate from each other at the base, and 

 fall off as a cap. The tendrils of the Vitaceae are borne 

 at the nodes and opposite the leaves. There has been 

 much discussion as to whether the tendrils are apical or 



lex 



36 BALSAMINACE*: 1. Impatiens, a, flower; 6, fruit. RHAM- 

 NACFLffi: 2. Rhamnus, a, flower; b, floral diagram. VITACE*: 

 3. Vitis, flower. TIUACE.E: 4. Tilia, o, flower; 6, floral diagram; 

 c, fruit. 



lateral, i.e., whether the plant is sympodial or mono- 

 podial. The tips of the tendrils are in some species 

 expanded into disk-like holdfasts. The species of Cis- 

 sus are mainly desert plants. They are often cactus- 

 like, with fleshy, angled, jointed, or terete stems; or 

 have tubers or tuberous bases. 



The most important economic plant in the family is 

 the grape (Vitis), which has been cultivated since early 

 times. V. mnifera is the wine grape of Europe and 

 southern California, and has given rise to our green- 

 house grapes; not hardy. V. Labrusca is one of the 

 parents of most of our hardy grapes. V. vulpina and 

 V. cardifolia are frost or fox grapes. Several species 

 of Vitis are grown for ornamental purposes only. Rai- 

 sins are the dried fruit of certain species of Vitis, mostly 

 V. vinifera. Virginia creeper or woodbine (Parthenocis- 

 sus [Ampelopsis] quinquefolia) and Boston ivy or Jap- 

 anese ivy (P. tricuspidata) are ornamental. 



A few genera are in cultivation in America: Ampe- 

 lopsis; Parthenocissus or Psedera; Cissus (Kangaroo 

 Vine); and Vitis. 



Order 41. MALVALES 



135. Elaeocarpaceae (from the genus Elseocarpus, 

 derived from the Greek meaning olive-fruit). EL^EOCAR- 

 PUS FAMILY. Trees or shrubs, with entire alternate or 

 opposite leaves without slime-cells: flowers usually bi- 

 sexual, regular, hypogynous; involucre 0; sepals 4-5, 

 separate or connate, valvate; petals 4-5, or 0, separate, 

 rarely connate, usually valvate, often incised; stamens 

 many; anthers opening by terminal pores; hypogy- 



