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A SYNOPSIS OF THE PLANT KINGDOM 



valvato or plicate, porsistont after Howoriiip, aiul often 

 wiHvly or leathery, ei>velopiii)j the fniit ; stamens l-3t), 

 uiiitt\l at the base, uneiUial, li^pogxiums; ovary of 1 

 C!iriK-l, li-elUxl, l-v)viile(l: style 1; stigma 1: fruit an 

 aeliene. 



The fmnily h:is IS genera and about l.')0 species, 

 principally natives of America from Coloratlo to Chile. 

 A few SUV scattered in other parts of the world. The 

 largest genus is Pisonia witli 40 species; Neea has 30 

 spoi'ies. The fiUiiily is related to the Ph,\tolaccace;e. 

 The floral bracts, absence of corolla, jiersistent, peri- 

 anth envelo|)ing the \'ery thin-walletl fruit, and tlic 

 1-sooded, 1-celletl ovary, are distiiiclivo 



The roots of Ba'rhavia and of Minihilis Jnhipn arc 

 purgative, and are sitld sis a substitute for jalap. The 

 foliage of several species of Hierhavia is iiscil .as vege- 

 tables. The nati\es of tlie Hawaiian Islands catch 

 birds with the very sticky fruits of the native species. 

 The leaves of Xeea Owifera are used as tea in Brazil, 

 also as a black dye. 



In .\nierica 3 genera are in common cultivation: 

 Abronia, garden annuals; liougainvilla'a, greenhouse 

 shrubs: Mirabilis (Four-o'clock, ^larvel of Peru). 



lis. Phytolaccacese (from the genus I'ln/tolacca, de- 

 rivcil from the Greek meaning plant and lac, in refer- 

 ence to the red juice of the fruit). Pokeweed Family, 

 Fig. 19. Herbs, shrubs, or trees: leaves mostly alter- 

 nate, simple: flowers bisexual, rarely unisexual, regu- 

 lar; perianth of one .series, divisions 4-5, .separate, per- 

 sistent, not modified in fruit ; stamens of the same 

 number as the parts of the perianth and alternate with 

 them, or more numerous, often connate at ba.se, hypog- 

 jTious; disk obscure or annular; ovary usually supe- 

 rior, rarely inferior: carpels 1 to many, free, or united 

 into a several-celled ovary; ovules 1 for each carpel; 

 styles as many as the carpels: fruit a berry-, utricle, 

 nut, or samara; embryo curved. 



The pokeweed family contains 22 genera and about 

 100 species, mostly of tropical and subtropical America 

 and South Africa. One species reaches the eastern 

 United States. All flie genera are small. The family is 

 related to the Aizoacea; also to the Caryophyllacea?, 

 Chenopodiacea', Nyctaginacea!, and other families 

 with curved embryos. The several 1 -seeded carpels 

 and non-accrescent perianth are usually distinctive. 



The red juice of the fruit of F'liytolacca decandra was 

 used by the American Indians for staining baskets, and 

 the hke. The roots of this plant are medicinal (emetic, 

 cathartic), and the young shoots are eaten. 



A few genera are in cultivation in America. Among 

 these are Phytolacca (Pokeberry, Pokeweed, Scoke, 

 Garget, Pigconberry, Inkberry), native, hardy, rarely 

 cultivatetl as a pot-herb; and Rivina (Rough Plant), 

 ornamental garden and greenhou.se plants. 



69. Aizoaceae (from the genus Aizoo/i, derived from 

 the Gre«?k meaning always alive, in reference to the 

 persistence of life in desert habitats). Carpet-weed 

 or Ice-Plant Family. Fig. 19. Erect or prostrate, 

 often fleshy herbs or sub-shrubs, either the stem or the 

 leaves, or both, curiously modified to reduce surface 

 and ftore water; rarely ordinary herbaceous plants: 

 leaves opposite, alternate or wliorled, siirii>le and mostly 

 entire: flowers bisexual, regular, hypogynous or epigy- 

 nous; perianth of one set of 4-.5 separate or united 

 parts; stamens 5, alternating with the perianth parts, 

 or by the splitting up of each becoming very numer- 

 ous, in which case many of the outer are changed into 

 long, showy, petaloid staminodia, the whole then some- 

 what resembling the hea'l of an aster; ovary 2-20-cellcd, 

 superior or inferior; placenta; axial, basal, or parietal; 

 ovules mostly numerous; stigmas 2-20: fruit capsular 

 or nut-like; embryo curved or annular. 



Kigliteen genera and about .500 species are known, 

 of which 3fX) belong to the genus Mesembryanthemum; 

 mostly inhabitants of the desert or, at least,, dry por- 

 tions of tropical and south-tropical regions. The large 



genus, Mesembryanthemum, is almost exclusively South 

 African, but reaches the Mediterranean. One species 

 of Aizoacea^ (Sesuvium) is native in tlie eastern United 

 States. The family is related through some genera 

 to the Phytolaccacea'; through others to the Caryophyl- 

 lacea- and Portulacacea'. The annular embryo places 

 the .Vizoacea; in this group. The apetalous, often 

 falsely polypetalous, flowers, with several-celled ovary, 

 and curved embryo, are characteristic. 



The fruits of .\hsvinhri/(inlhiiniim edule (Hottentot 

 fig) are edible. The leaves of Mesembryanthemum are 

 used as a vegetable on the borders of the .\frican 

 desert. Tclragoiiia crpiinaa (New Zealand spinach) is 

 cultivated as a )>ot-herb. Meseinbryanlhcinuin crys- 

 lalUnuni (ice-plant) of the Mediterranean region, with 

 leaves covered with peculiar vesicular hairs filled with 

 a viscid liquid, which sparkles in the sunlight hke frost, 

 is cultivated as a curiosity. Other species are cultivateii 

 for their strange appearance. 



Many species of Mesembryanthemum (Fig. Mari- 

 gold, and Ice-plant) are more or less cultivated in 

 America; also one species of Tetragonia (New Zealand 

 Spinach, New Zealand Ice-plant). 



70. Portulacaceae (from the genus Portidaca, an old 

 Latin name of unknown origin). Purslane Family, 

 Fig. 19. Herbaceous or suffruticose: leaves often fleshy, 

 sometimes connate: flowers bisexual, usually regular; 

 sepals 2; petals 4-.'), rarely more, sometimes connate 

 at the base, fugaceous; stamens in 1 or 2 whorls, h)-- 

 pogynous (except in Portulaca), equal in number to the 

 petals and opposite them, or double the number and 

 alternating with them, or fewer, or, by multiplication, 

 very many; ovary 1-celled, with a free-central or basal 

 placenta; ovules 2 to many; style 2-3-parted: fruil a 

 capsule, opening by a valve or lid, rarely indehiscent; 

 embryo curved (jr annular. 



Most of the 17 genera and about 150 species are 

 inhabitants of the warmer, dry or arid regions, for 

 which their fleshy structure and frequently prostrate 

 or ca'spitose habit are an adaptation. They are most 

 abundant in South America and the Cape of Good 

 Hope; also common in western North America. The 

 Portulacacefe are most closely related to the Caryo- 

 phyllacea; and Aizoacea'. The 2 sepals, 1-celled ovary 

 with central placenta, several styles, and curved or 

 coiled embryo are distinctive. In the common pur- 

 slane and a few other species, the capsule opens by a 

 terminal lid, which, separating along a transverse line, 

 falls off and thus allows the seeds to escape. In Por- 

 tulaca the ovary is partly inferior. 



Mo.st of the Portulacaceie are mucilaginous; some are 

 slightly bitter and have been used as a mild tonic. The 

 herbage of I'orliilaca ohnicea is eaten as a salad or as 

 greens, and is also said to be sedative and an antidote 

 for scurvy. Several species of Calandrinia, Talinum 

 and Claytonia, are used as pot-herbs. The roots of 

 Claytonia luhrrosa of Siberia are edible, as are also the 

 roots of the western Lewisia. 



About one-third of the genera are in cultivation in 

 America. Porlidiica grandiflora (Rose Moss) is orna- 

 mental; P. olcriicea (Purslane or Pusley) is a pot-herb; 

 the Montias are also pot-herbs. Lewisia, Talinum, 

 Spraguea and Claytonia are mostly ornamental. 



71. Basellaceae (from the genus Baselln, the Malabar 

 nameof the jjlant). Baseli.a Family. Fig. 20. Climb- 

 ing, i)erennial herbs, rarely slightly woody: leaves alter- 

 niite, broad, oft.en fleshy: flowers bisexual, regular, 2 

 bracteolate; scp.als 2; petals 5, separate or connate, 

 imbricated, persistent ; stamens 5, opposite the petals 

 and attache<l to their base; ovary su|)erior, 1-celled; 

 ovule 1, basal, curved; .style and stigma 1-3: fruit 

 indehiscent, inclosed in the corolla; embryo spiral. 



There are 5 genera anfl about 15 species, all except 

 one species being confined to tropical America, mostly 

 in the Andes. Boussingaultia, the largest genus, con- 

 tains 10 species. Tlie family is related to the Cheno- 



