570 



BOTANY 



PART II 



a highly branched panicle, bearing the inconspicuous greenish flowers. Ovary 

 formed of three carpels. At the end of the first season the root contains cane-sugar 

 as a reserve material, which at tliis stage is extracted from the plant. By constant 

 selection the percentage of sugar is raised from 7-8 % to an average of 14 % ; it may, 

 however, reach 21-26% (*''). The original form of the Sugar Beet is Beta patula. 



Cheno]}odium and Atriplex are 

 ~ common weeds near human 



r * T' ■■^\ dwellings. 



Family 3. Caryophyl- 

 laeeae. — Annual or per- 

 ennial herbs, very rarely 

 shrubs, with simple, linear, 

 iisually opposite leaves ; 

 flowers typically pentamer- 

 ous, with calyx and corolla. 

 Two whorls of stamens, 

 obdiplostemonous. Uni- 

 locular or incompletely 

 septate ovary. K5, C5, 

 A5-f 5, G (5). Fruit, a 

 capsule. Seeds numerous, 

 embryo curved around 

 the flouiy perisperm. In 

 reduced forms the fruit is 

 nut-like (Figs. 549-551). 



The family is distributed 



\1 ^^ over the whole earth. 



^ ^^1^^ Sub-Fajiilies and Genera. 



0^^^y^'^ A —1. Alsiiieae. — C-A\yy. poly- 



sepalous ; petals with short 

 claws; fruit, a capsule. Ccrasti- 

 um, Spcr(jula,\\ith pentanierous 

 flowers ; Stellm-iasLnd Arenaria 

 with tri-carpellary ovary. 



2. Paromjchlcac. Calyx jjoly- 

 sepalous ; corolla wanting 

 or inconspicuous ; fruit nut- 

 like. Sclcranlhus, Herniaria. 

 Z.Sileneac. Calyx gamosepal- 

 ous ; petals with long claws, 

 fruit a capsule. Lychnis and 

 Ayrostcnima with live carpels, Sllcne with three, DianthiiS and Sa2:)onaria with two. 

 C'crastiu'in and Stellaria have white flowers and bifid petals, and are conspicuous, 

 early-flowering forms. Species of Dianlhiis, Pinks, have frequently attractive 

 colours and scent, and occur in dry sunny situations. Agrosf.emma Githago 

 (Fig. 550), Corn-cockle, is a hairy plant with pink flowers ; it is a common weed 

 in corn-fields. Since its seeds are poisonous, their mixture with the grain may have 

 serious result.s. Saponaria officinalis occurs esjiecially by the banks of streams ; it 



Fig. 



.j51. — Sapunuiio ojliciiiiitis (A iiat. sizi'). 

 I'u/soyoc's. 



