CLASSIFICATION OF DICOTYLEDONS. 185 



Chenopodiacem. Nearly resembling the last is the amaranth 

 family (Amarantacece) , of which the showy amaranths arid 

 coxcombs of the gardens, and the coarse, green amaranth or 

 pig-weed are representatives. 



The poke-weed (Phytolacca) (Fig. 98, K), so conspicuous in 

 autumn on account of its dark-purple clusters of berries and 

 crimson stalks, is our only representative of the family Pliyto- 

 laccacece. The two highest families are the purslane family 

 (Portulacacece) and pink family (Caryophyllece) . These are 

 mostly plants with showy flowers in which the petals are 

 large and conspicuous, though some of the pink family, e.g. 

 some chick-weeds, have no petals. Of the purslane family 

 the portulacas of the gardens, and the common purslane or 

 "pusley," and the spring-beauty (Claytonia) (Fig. 98, A) are 

 the commonest examples. The pink family is represented 

 by many common and often showy plants. The carnation, 

 Japanese pinks, and sweet-william, all belonging to the genus 

 Diantlms, of which there are also two or three native species, 

 are among the showiest of the family. The genera Lychnis 

 and Silene (Fig. 98, L) also contain very showy species. Of 

 the less conspicuous genera, the chick-weeds (Cerastium and 

 SteUaria) are the most familiar. 



The third group of the Choripetalce (tjie Aphanocydce) is a 

 very large one and includes many common plants distributed 

 among five orders. The lower ones have all the parts of the 

 flower entirely separate, and often indefinite in number; the 

 higher have the gynoecium composed of two or more carpels 

 united to form a compound pistil. 



The first order (Polycarpce) includes ten families, of which 

 the buttercup family (Rannuculacece) is the most familiar. 

 The plants of this family show much variation in the details 

 of the flowers, which are usually showy, but the general plan 

 is much the same. In some of them, like the anemones (Fig. 

 99, A), clematis, and others, the corolla is absent, but the 

 sepals are large and brightly colored so as to appear like petals. 



