URTICACK^. (nettle FAMILY.) 441 



many as the lobes of the calyx and opposite them, or sometimes fewer. Coty» 

 ledons usually broad. Stipules often deeiduous. — A large order (far the 

 greater part tropical), comprising the following suborders, viz.: — 



Suborder I. ULITIACE^. P:lm Family. 



Flowers perfect or monoeciously polygamous. Filaments straight op 

 m««derately incurved in the bud. Styles or stigmas 2. Fruit a samara 

 or drupe. Seed suspended. — Ti-ees, with a watery juice (no active or 

 no.\iou3 properties), and alternate leaves. 



* Fruit dry, winged or crested (a samara) : anthers extrorse. 

 1. riinus. Flowers sometimes perfect. Ovary 2-ovuled. Fruit 1-celled, winged. 

 2 Planera. Flowers polygamous. Ovary 1-ovuled. Fruit wiugless, nut-lilie. 

 * * Fruit a drupe : anthers Introrse. 



3. Celtis. Flowers polygamous. Ovary 1-ovuled. Cotyledons curved and crumpled. 



Suborder II. ABTOCARPEiE. Bread-fruit & Fig Family. 



Flowers monoecious or dioecious, crowded in catkin-like spikes or heads; 

 the calyx, &c. becoming fleshy or juicy in fruit, but the 1- (rarely 2-) 

 celled ovary ripening as a dry achenium. Styles or stigmas commonly 2. 

 — Mostly trees or shrubs, with a milky or yellow (acrid or poisonous) 

 juice, and alternate (rough or smooth) leaves. — Stamens Inflexed in 

 the bud, and elastically spreading when the flower opens, in the Tribe 

 More.e. 



4. Morus. Fertile and sterile flowers in separate spikes. Calyx berry-like in fruit. 



Suborder III. URTICEyE. Nettle Family. 



Flowers monoecious or dioecious. Filaments transversely wrinkled and 

 inflexed in the bud, straightening or spreading elastically when the flower 

 opens. Style or stigma simjile. Ovary always 1-celled, with an erect or- 

 thotropous ovule, forming an achenium In fruit. Embryo straight in the 

 axis of albumen. — Herbs (or In the tropics often shrubs or trees), with a 

 watery bland juice, a tough fibrous bark, and opposite or alternate leaves: 

 many are armed with stinging hairs. 



« Calyx in the fertile flowers of 2-5 separate or nearly separate sepals. 

 1- Plant beset with stinging bristles. 



5. Urlica. Sepals 4 in both sterile and fertile flowers. Achenium straiarht and erect, en- 



closed by the 2 inner .^nd larger sepals. Stigma capitate-tufted. Leaves opposite. 



6. Lnpoi-lea. Sepals b in the sterile flowers, 4 in the fertile, or apparently only 2, the two 



exterior minute and obscure. Arheniuui very oblique and bent down, nearly naked. 

 Stigma long and awl-shaped. Leaves alternate. 



■1- I- Plant wholly destitute of stinging bristles. 



7. Pllea. Sepals 3 or 4, those of the fertile flowers unequal, all or all but one small 



Achenium partly naked, s-traight and ertct. Stigma pencil-tufted. 

 » » Calyx of the fertile flowers tubular or cup-shaped, enclo.«ing the achenium. 



8. BfEhmerla. Flowers monoecious, glomer.ate, the clusters spiked, not involucrate- 



St \ le long and thread-shaped, stigmatic down one side. 

 0. Parietaria. Flowers polygamous, in iiiTolucrate-bracted clusters. Stigma tufted. 



