DICOTYLEDONS. 657 



III. APHANOCYCLiE. 



Flowers hemicyclic or cyclic, or the parts arranged spirally ; the members of each 

 whorl usually free, not coherent with one another, or only in the gynseceum ; perianth 

 generally distinctly differentiated into calyx and corolla ; the numbers of the parts in the 

 four whorls very variable ; stamens usually more in number than perianth-leaves ; carpels 

 forming generally one, several, or a large number of monocarpellary ovaries ; the ovary 

 is usually superior and, when polycarpellary, is uni- or multi-locular. Ovules springing 

 occasionally in all the groups from the inner surface of the carpels. 



A. HydropeltidinecB. Water-plants with solitary lateral and usually large flowers, 

 the perianth-leaves and stamens variable in number and arranged spirally ; ovaries 

 several and monocarpellary (r, 2), or one only polycarpellary and multilocular ; embryo 

 small, usually surrounded by a small endosperm in a hollow of the perisperm. 



Families: i. Nelumbiaceae, 



2. Cabombeae, 



3. Nymphseaceae. 



B. Polycarpce. Parts of the flowers arranged spirally or in whorls, when in 

 whorls usually dimerous or trimerous, each series generally consisting of more than 

 one whorl, rarely in four pentamerous whorls (2); gynaeceum consisting of one, 

 several, or a larger number of monocarpellary ovaries (trimerous and unilocular in 8), 

 which are one- or many-seeded; embryo small; endosperm none (8), abundant, or 

 very large (9). 



Families: i. Ranunculaceae, 



2. Dilleniaceae, 



3. Schizandreae, 



4. Anonaceae, 



5. Magnoliaceae, 



6. Berberideae, 



7. Menispermaceae, 



8. Laurineae, 



9. Myristicaceae. 



C. Cruct/lorce. Perianth-whorls dimerous; in (3) and (4) corolla of four petals 

 placed diagonally ; staminal whorls two or more, each consisting of two stamens or 

 divisible by two ; ovary polycarpellary, unilocular, or (spuriously) bilocular, or multi- 

 locular; seed with (i, 2) or without endosperm. 



Families: i. Papaveraceae, 



2. Fumariaceae, 



3. Cruciferae, 



4. Capparideae. 



IV. TETRACYCLiE. 



Parts of the flower always arranged strictly in whorls ; the typical number of whorls 

 is four, the calyx, corolla, androecium, and gynaeceum each consisting of a single whorl; 

 whorls generally pentamerous, rarely tetramerous (very rarely dimerous or octamerous) ; 

 any one of the whorls may be entirely wanting, or individual members may be abortive ; 

 this occurs most often with the stamens and carpels. Increase in number of the stamens 

 usually takes place by the interposition of one perfect or imperfect whorl between the 

 members of the typical whorl or a little outside it, or by doubling of the members, or by 

 branching of the original staminal leaves ; increase in number of the staminal whorls 

 themselves is rare. All the whorls usually alternate, but the stamens are not unfrequently 

 superposed on the petals. A tendency prevails in all the sections to a diminution of the 

 number of carpels below that of the members of the perianth-whorls ; very commonly 



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