PAPAVERACEJS, CRUCIFEILE. 169 



3. PAPAVERACE^E. 



Sepals 2, deciduous. Petals 4, or a multiple of that 

 number, cruciate. Stamens some multiple of 4 ; (mostly 

 indefinite, and more or less collected,) hypogynous, or 

 apparently perigynous from the excavation of the pedun- 

 cle ; anthers two-celled, innate ; ovarium one-celled, with 

 parietal placentae, and many-ovuled. Fruit mostly cap- 

 sular, with many placentae, or sometimes pod-shaped, 

 with two placentas. Seeds numerous, with albumen 

 which is oily or fleshy, and a minute embryo at the base 

 of the albumen. Cotyledons plano-convex, and folia- 

 ceous in germination. 



Herbaceous (rarely shrubby plants,) with lactescent 

 juice varying in colour, and alternate more or less di- 

 vided leaves. The flowers are solitary and never blue ; 

 in Bocconia petals are wanting. 



Allied to Cruciferse, etc. 



Geographical Relations. Europe and North America 

 chiefly, though they are found elsewhere, as in China 

 and Japan for instance. 



Properties. Narcotic. This deleterious property re- 

 sides in their juices, their seeds being oily, but not 

 possessed of any soporific powers. 



Officinal Plants. 



Papaver rhceas 

 Papaver somniferum. 



4. CRL'CIFEILE. 



Sepals 4, cruciate, almost always imbricate in aestiva- 

 tion, and deciduous. Petals 4, cruciate, alternate to the 

 Q 



