468 BOTANY. 



VI. The Dicotyledonous plants with monoclinous apetalous flowers 

 and epigynous stamina have the perianth of one piece, and a single 

 ovary with many cells. They are all comprised in one family, un- 

 der the name of Aristolochice. 



VII. The seventh order, which comprehends all apetalous plants 

 with monoclinous and perigynous flowers, is formed of six well-mark- 

 ed families. Three of them bear the stamina upon the summit of 

 the calyx. 1. Eleagnece, which have the ovary inferior or adher- 

 ing and the seed enveloped in a fleshy perisperm. 2. Thymelece, 

 of which the ovary is free, the stamina equal in number to the di- 

 visions of the perianth, and the fruit without perisperm. 3. Proiece, 

 of which the stamina generally double in number the divisions of 

 the perianth, and the ovary is free. In the other three families the 

 stamina are attached to the base of the calyx. 4. Laurinece : Trees 

 and aromatic bushes, of which the flowers have six or twelve sta- 

 mina, with a fruit or berry and the seed destitute of perisperm. 5. 

 Potygonece : Herbaceous plants with the base of the petioles widen- 

 ed, hermaphrodite flowers, the anthers marked with four furrows, 

 and the fruit with a farinaceous perisperm. 6. Chenopodece : Herbs 

 with sometimes berries, and the seed always covered by a farina- 

 ceous perisperm. 



VIII. The eighth order, with hypogynous stamina in apetalous 

 and monoclinous flowers, comprises four families, which have all a 

 single simple ovary and one seed, or a capsule distinct from the 

 calyx, which is free, and which has often scales in the form of pe- 

 tals. These are, 1. the Amaranthacece. 2. Plantagmece. 3. Nyc- 

 taginece; and 4. Plumbaginece^ ^ 



IX. The next order is Moaeeotyledonous monoclinous plants 

 with a monopetalous corolla. The greater or less regularity of the 

 corolla ; the proportion and number of the stamina ; and the dif- 

 ference in the appearance of the fruit, have served for the subsidiary 

 division of this order into fifteen families. 1. The Primulacece : Ge- 

 nerally herbs with perennial roots and regular flowers, supported 

 sometimes on a common peduncle and disposed in an umbel, or 

 upon a peduncle which arises from the angle of the leaves and the 

 stem. The flowers have a persistent calyx, a tubular corolla, with 

 as many lobes as there are interior stamina. The fruit is common- 

 ly a capsule opening in various ways. 2. Rhinanthacece : Stem ge- 

 nerally herbaceous, with simple leaves, and towards the summit 

 axillary flowers, sometimes in a spike ; corolla almost always irre- 

 gular inclosing stamina in even numbers, two, four, or eight ; fruit 

 a capsule of two cells and of two valves. 3. Acanthaceae : This 

 family differs from the preceding by the partition of the capsule, 

 which separates in two parts and displays the seeds attached by 



