Mercurialis.] EUPHORBIACE^E. 361 



diverging, stigmatic on the sides in front. Capsule small, tubercled, hispid. 

 Seeds brown, reticulate.— Distrib. Europe, N. Africa, W. Asia.— Leaves 

 boiled and eaten as a pot-herb. 



Order LXIX. urtica'ceje. 



Herbs, shrubs, or trees. Leaves opposite or alternate usually stipulate. 

 Flowers 1- rarely 2-sexual, small, green. Perianth of male 3-8-lobed or 

 3-5-partite, of female tubular or 3-5-cleft, or of a scale-like sepal. Stamens 

 as many and opposite the perianth-lobes, filaments straight with erect 

 anthers, or inflexed in bud with reversed anthers. Ovary sessile, 1- rarely 

 2-celled ; style 1 or with a capitate stigma, or styles 2 papillose ; ovules 

 solitary in the cells, erect and orthotropous, or pendulous and anatropous. 

 Fruit indehiscent. Seed pendulous or erect, albumen or fleshy, radicle 

 superior. —Distrib. All climates ; genera 108 ; species over 1,500. — 

 Affinities.. With Malva'cece and Euphorbia' cece. — Properties. Very 

 various. 



Tribe I. ULME'ffi. Flowers usually 2-sexual. Perianth 3-8-lobed or -partite. 

 Filaments slender, straight in bud. Ovary 1-2-celled, ovules pendulous. 

 Albumen 0; embryo straight. — Trees. 

 Samara stalked, winged. Cotyledons flat 1. Ulmus. 



Tribe II. URTICE'.ffl. Flowers 1-sexual. Perianth of male 4-5-partite, of 

 female tubular or 4-5-cleft. Filaments inflexed in bud with reversed 

 anthers. Ovary 1-celled ; style simple or ; ovule erect, orthotropous. 

 Albumen fleshy or 0; embryo straight. — Herbs or shrubs. 



Leaves opposite, with stinging hairs 2. Urtica. 



Leaves alternate, with simple hairs 3. Parietaria. 



Tribe III. CANNABINE'^E. Flowers dioecious, males panicled, females 

 clustered or spicate. Perianth of male 5-partite, of female 1 scale-like 

 sepal. Filaments straight in bud. Ovary 1-celled ; styles 2, ovule pendu- 

 lous. A Ibumen fleshy ; embryo curved. 

 Stem twining. Embryo spiral 4. Humulus. 



1. ulmus, L. Elm. 



Tress or shrubs ; juice watery. Leaves alternate, simple, distichous, 

 oblique, scabrid ; stipules caducous. Flowers 2-sexual, fascicled, lateral. 

 Perianth campanulate, 5- rarely 4- 8- or 9-fid, imbricate in bud, persistent. 

 Stamens usually 5, filaments adnate to the perianth-tube ; anthers extrorse. 

 Ovary free, 1-2-celled ; styles 2, subulate, stigmatic on the inner face ; 

 ovule 1 in each cell, pendulous, anatropous. Fruit a 1 -seeded samara. 

 Ssed pendulous, testa thin, albumen ; embryo straight, cotyledons large 

 flat or folded, radicle superior. — Distrib. N. temp, zone ; species 16. 

 — Properties. Bitter, mucilaginous, astringent. 



