272 DECANDRIA. MONOGYNIA. 



succulent, brownish, brittle fibres. Stems several from 

 the same root, squamae ovate-obtuse, 5 to 7 nerved, 

 nerves simple, rectilinear. Corolla persistent, somt-times 

 subtended by 2 or 3 bractes; peials channelled, erect, ad- 

 nate to the base of tlie germ, obsoletely 3-nerved, claws 

 broad, cavernous. Filaments of the stamina pubescent, 

 alternated at the base by 10 short recurved filiform pro- 

 cesses; anthers conspicuous, membranaceous, peltate, re- 

 niform, and horizontal, partly inflated, 1-celled, furnished 

 with 2 linear, transverse and margined foramina, situated 

 about the middle, for the escape of the pollen. Style 

 scarcely any; stigma every where smooth, orbicular, with 

 a funnelform depression, and glandular margin, internally 

 somewhat 5-toothed. Capsule 5-celled, 5-valved, 10- 

 striate, septa "medial, distinct above,, coalescing in the 

 axis towards the base, margins of the valves connected by 

 cancellate fibres. Seeds very numerous and minute, en- 

 tirely similar to those o^ Pyrola chlorantha, P.rotundifolia, 

 &c. presenting through a lens a hyaline nucleus, which is 

 nearly splierical, situated towards the centre of a mem- 

 branaceous integument, attenuated below and terminat- 

 ing obtusely above. The seed is likewise similar in Hypopi- 

 thus, and all these o genera are distinctly allied to the 

 genus Pifi'ola, but the singular form and disposition of 

 the anthers interposes a difficulty of considerable mo- 

 ment against incorporating them with the natural order 

 EriCjE. As a natural order, or section, the Monotro- 

 PEiE may be defined as follows: — Calix superior, 5- 

 parted, persistent, sometimes wanting, or in the form 

 of irregular bractes. Corolla perigynous, monopetalous, 

 persistent, mostly divided to the base, so as to appear 

 almost polypetalous. Stamina definite, distinct, double 

 the number of '.he petals and arising from their base; 

 anthet-s excentrically peltate, horizontal, adnate to the 

 filaments, mostly 1-celled, opening variously, not by ter- 

 minal pores. Germ superior, style 1, stigma simple, dis- 

 coid. Fruit capsular, superior, 5-celled, 5-valved; septa 

 medial, coalescing in the axis towards the base, recepta- 

 cle 5-lobed, pendulous. Seeds numerous and very mi- 

 nute, nearly spherical, situated towards the centre of a 

 samaroid attenuated membranaceous eplsperm, sometimes 

 alated at its summit — Plants after the manner of Oro6a?ic/ie, 

 destitute of leaves and verdure; stems simple, scapiform, 

 squamose, 1 or many-flowered. 



389 PYROLA. L, (Winteigreen.) 



Calix 5.cleft or S-parted. Petals 5, decidu- 

 ous. Style exserted. Capsule 5-celled, opening 



