40 



A SYNOPSIS OF THE PLANT KINGDOM 



altcrnatinji with the (lotiils, free or iinitol with tlio 

 jH-t;ils, or with oaoli otlu-r; rarely an inlraslaniiiKil disk 

 pr«:cnt ; ovary inlVrior, l-;i-ri'll«l; ovulos 1-2 in oach 

 cell: fruit dry, indohiscont, or capsnhir. 



Twelve genera and al>out 'lO speeies ocrur, all natives 

 of South Afriea. The family is related to various fami- 

 lies of the Saxifrage group, as for instance, the llama- 

 nielidacejr, but is distinct because of its heath-like 

 habit. The flowers are mostly in dense lieads. 



The family is of no economic importance. One 

 species of .Vudouinia (.4. capitata) is said to be some- 

 tmies in cultivation as Diosma capitatn. 



KXl. Hamamelidaceae (from the genus Ilnmnmdis, 

 an ancient tireok name applied to .some tree). WiTCU- 

 H.\ZEi. K.\MiLV. Fig. 27. Trees or .shrubs: leaves simple, 

 alternate: flowers unisexual or bisexual, hypogynous, 

 jiorigynous or epigynous; sepals 4-5; petals 4-5, or 0; 

 stamens 4-5, rarely nwre; sub-ovari.an disk rare; ovary 

 2-celled; ovules 1 or .several in each cell: fruit a woody, 

 2-valvcd capsule, with a separating iimer layer of dif- 

 ferent texture; seeds often winged. 



Twenty genera and 50 species are known, widely 

 distributed in subtro])ical or warm temperate regions 

 of both hemispheres. It is an ancient family more 

 abundant in former ages, related to the Saxifragacea;, 

 and by some considered related to the Cornacea; or 

 Araliacea. Many fossil .sisecies are known. The peculiar 

 fruit is distinctive. 



In some genera, as in Hamamelis, the seeds are 

 forcibly expelled when the fruit opens, often to a di.s- 

 tance of 10 feet or more, much as wet apple seeds may 

 be shot from between the thimib and finger. 



The family is of little economic importance. Exiiract 

 of the bark of Himiamelis is used as a liniment 

 (witch-hazel). The twigs are suppo.sed to have super- 

 nonnal properties, especially in the detection of water 

 in the earth. They are frequently used in rural districts 

 in the attempt to detect underground springs. Liquid- 

 ambar Stijrncifiua (sweet gum), of the southern 

 United States, yields a balsam. The oriental balsam, 

 Styrax, is obtained from the eastern L. orientalis. This 

 was formerly used in medicine. 



Perhaps half the genera are in cultivation, all for 

 ornamental purjjoses. Of these, Fothergilla, Corylopsis 

 Hamamelis, and Liquidambar are the best known. 

 Most of tlie species are hardy. 



101. Platanacese (from the genus Ptatontis, the ancient 

 name of the tree, signifying broad). Plane-Tree Fam- 

 ily. Fig. 28. Trees with alternate, broad, palmately 

 veined leaves: flowers in dense heads, monoecious, regu- 

 lar, perigynous; sepals usually 3-8, separate, thick, often 

 with bracts at the base; petals of the same number, 

 glabrous; stamens of like number alternating with the 

 petals; connective peltate at the top; e.xtra staminodia 

 often present; carpels several, distinct, 1-seeded: 

 fruit a caryopsis, angled from pressure, and truncate 

 at top, surrounded by long hairs at the base; seed 

 orthotropous. 



A single genus and about C species are distributed in 

 southern Europe, .southern Asia, and in North America. 

 The family Ls related to the Saxifragacea- and Jlama- 

 melidacfac. The poIyp(;talous perigynous flower, 

 with as many stamens as petals, the separate carpels, 

 and especiaUy the peculiar inflorescence and leaf, are 

 distinctive. Fossil species are known. 



The wood of Platanus Ls similar to maple and of 

 value, but the most important use is for ornament. Two 

 species of Platanus (Plane-Tree, Buttonwood, Button 

 Ball, Oriental Plane, Sycamore; are in cultivation in 

 America. 



102. Rosaces Cfrom the genus Roan, theancient name 

 of the rose;. liosE Family. Fig. 28. Herbs, shrubs, or 

 trees, often thorny, sometimes climbing: leaves alter- 

 nate, rarely opposite : flowers bi.sexual, rarely uni.sexual, 

 u.sually regular, perigynous; calyx of 1-5 imbricated 

 or valvate sepals; corolla of as many iinbricated petals, 



or 0; stiunens 5 to many, in whorls of 5, borne on the 

 cup of the receptacle at .some distance from the carpels; 

 cuj) lined with a glandular disk; carpels 1 to many, 

 sei)arate and superior or united and inferior; ovaries 

 1 ti) .several-ovuled; styles as many as the carjx'ls: fruit 

 a follicle, aclicne, drupe, pome, or hip; seeds usually 

 exalbuminous. 



There arc^ about 90 genera and 1,.500 species, widely 

 distributed in all parts of the workl, most abundant, 

 jjerhaps, in the temiieratc regions. The largest genera 

 are Rubus, liSO-200 species; Potentilla, 2()0 species; 

 and Rosa, 100 species. The family is relatctl to the 

 Saxifragacex and the Lcguminosa;, also to the Caly- 

 cauthaceaj. The perigynous flower with cup lined by 

 the glandular disk, the numerous cyclic stamens, and 



28. PLATANACE.E: 1. Platanus. a, flower; b, floral diagram. 

 Romace.e: 2. Fragaria, a, flower; 6, fruit. 3. Geum, fruit. 4. 

 Rosa, a, floral diagram; b, fruit. 5. Spiraea, fruit. 6. Prunus, o, 

 flower; b, fruit. 7. Pyrua, a, flower; 6, fruit. Leodminos.*:: 8. 

 Pisum, a, flower; 6, flower, petals removed; c, fruit. 9. Des- 

 modium, fruit. 10. Cassia, flower. 11. Acacia, flower. 



the separate, usually cyclic, carpels, are distinctive. 

 The Ranunculacca; is similar, but acychc and hy- 

 pogynous. 



The family is divided into 6 very distinct sub- 

 families, some of which, by certain authors, are con- 

 sidered of family rank, as follows: I. Fruit follicular, 

 e.g., Spiraea, Physocarpus, Aruncus, Sorbaria, and 

 so on. II. Ovary compound, inferior: fruit fleshy, e. g., 

 Pyrus, Crataegus, Cotoneaster, Cydonia, Amelanchier, 

 Mespilus, and the like. III. Fruit of achcnes or 

 separate drupelets, e.g., Rubus, Fragaria, Potentilla, 

 Geum, Cercocarijus, Ulmaria, Alchemilla, Agrimonia, 

 Sanguisorba, and Rosa. IV. Carpels connate, and 

 adnate to the hollow, but dry, receptacle, e.g., Neurada 

 and Grielum. V. Carpel 1, superior: fruit a drupe: 

 style terminal, e.g., Prunus. VI. Same as the last, but 



