474 BOTANY. 



duration ; five petals ; calyx of five segments, numerous stamina, 

 and a simple ovary forming a capsule. 21. Rutacece : This family 

 resembles the preceding, but has ten stamina and a multilocular 

 fruit. 22. Caryophyllecei Herbs with rounded and branched stems; 

 leaves generally opposite, simple, and not dentated, with axillary, 

 sometimes terminal flowers. This family is subdivided into genera 

 with three stamina ; those with four ; those with five or eight ; 

 and those with ten. 



XV. The fifteenth order, or Dicotyledonous plants with the sta- 

 mina inserted around the pistil, and the calyx of a single piece and 

 lobed. Flowers of many petals, commonly hermaphrodite, or at least 

 both sexes on the same plant ; ovary free, sometimes adherent. 

 This order is composed of thirteen families. 1. Portulacece : Herbs 

 and shrubs with leaves often thick and succulent, furnished with 

 stipulse or axillary hairs j fruit a free capsule of one or many cells. 



2. Ficoidece : With thick and fleshy leaves ; flowers with a great 

 number of narrow petals ; fruit a capsule of many cells ; ovary free 

 or adherent. 3. Crassulacece : Petals corresponding to the divisions 

 of the calyx ; leaves thick and fleshy. 4. Saxifragece : Herbs and 

 shrubs distinguished by two kind of horns on the ovary produced 

 by the drying and hardening of the styles. 5. Cactoidece : This 

 family is composed of one genus, of which the species, deprived of 

 leaves, are generally furnished with bundles of spines ; flowers so- 

 litary ; and the fruit pulpy. 6. Salicarice : Herbs and shrubs 

 with hermaphrodite flowers ; a persisting calyx of one piece, with 

 petals in the intervals of the lobes as well as stamina, of which the 

 number is equal or double ; fruit a capsule, not adhering to the 

 calyx. 7 Onagrarm : Resemble the preceding family, but their 

 ovary is adherent. 8. Myrtoidce : Trees and shrubs for the most 

 part exotic, but of which many species are cultivated in Europe 

 on account of the agreeable perfume of the flowers. All have the 

 leaves and branches opposite, simple, without stipulse, but sometimes 

 vesicular, and the calyx of a single piece. 9. Melaslomece : Pe- 

 tals four or five, ovary adherent. 10. Rosacece : Ligneous or herba- 

 ceous plants with persistent calyx, divided into lobes, of which the 

 number is the same as the petals, or equal to the half of them ; sta- 

 mina generally beyond twenty. This family is divided into six 

 sections : 1. Those of which the ovary is simple, with many styles, 

 and the fruit an apple of many cells, crowned by the calyx. 2. The 

 fruit a pericarp formed by the inflated calyx, and narrowed at the 

 orifice, penetrated by styles corresponding to the number of the seeds. 



3. With few ovaries, concealed by the calyx, and the flowers often 

 without petals and unisexual. 4. With numerous ovaries support- 



3 



