ORDER 105. CHENOPODIACE^E. 



611 



length, dry, globular, with 1 vertical seed ; embryo annular. 2 Half 

 shrubby, with alternate, petiolate, pinnate-veined Ivs. and fls. in simple 

 terminal, soon lateral racemes. 



R. l&vis L. Erect, branched, glabrous and bright green ; Ivs. ovate, acuminate, 

 subcordate or obtuse at base, subcrenulate ; rac. longer than the leaves ; fls. rose- 

 white, green in fruit; stam. 4; sep. oval, obtuse. Fla. to Tex. Plant 6 to t 

 high, much resembling in aspect Phytolacca. St. furrowed. Lvs. 2 to 4' by 1 to 

 2', petioles 1' to 18". Sep. enlarged in fruit, then 2" long. 



ORDER CIV. BASELLACE^E. 



Herbs glabrous, often twining and climbing, with alternate leaves. Flowers per- 

 fect, regular, with a double, imbricated calyx often colored. Stamens perigynous. 

 Otherwise as in Chenopodiacese. Fig. 363. 



A small order, containing 6 genera and 21 species, chiefly tropical 



BOUSSINGAUL'TIA, Kunth. MEXICAN VINE. (Dedicated to tho 

 celebrated chemist Boussingault.) Fls. membranous, calyx open, the 

 exterior shorter; tube very short; stigmas 3, subclavate; pericarp 

 membranous ; embryo annular with the albumen central. Vines twining 

 to the right. Lvs. thick, petiolate. Fls. in spicate rac. 



B. baselloides Kunth. Lvs. rather fleshy, broadly cordate-ovate, acuminate 



. or the larger ones obtuse, short-petioled ; racemes loose, simple or branched ; fiU 



dilated below ; stig. sessile. Cultivated for shades and arbors. A vine of rapid 



growth, arising many feet. Lvs. 1 3' long. Racemes numerous, greenish. 



f S. Am. 



ORDER CV. CHENOPODIACESE. CHENOPODS OR GOOSE-FOOTS. 



Herbs chiefly weed-like and homely, more or less fleshy, with alternate, exstipu- 

 late leaves. Bracts not scarious. Flowers minute, greenish, regular. Calyx imbri- 

 cated in bud. Stamens perigynous, as many as, and opposite to the calyx lobes, 

 or fewer. Ovary 2-styled, 1 -celled, becoming a 1-seeded, thin utricle or caryopsis. 

 Embryo coiled into a ring around the albumen or spiral without albumen. Fig. 435. 



Genera 72, species 510, often maritime plants, more generally weeds, abounding in the tempe- 

 rate zones, in neglected and waste fields. 



Properties. Generally bland and innocent. Some are useful for food, as the Beet, Mangel- 

 wurtzel, Orache, Spinach, &c. Others contain an essential oil, which renders them tonic, anti- 

 spasmodic and anthelmintic; as Chenopodium botrys, C. ambrosioides, C. anthelminticum ; tho 

 latter yields the officinal worm-seed oil. Salsoli, Salicornia and other sea-side species yield soda 

 from their ashes in great abundance. 



FIG. 678. 1. Flower of Chenopodium album. 2. Calyx, &c., removed, showing the ovary and 

 two (hypogynous) stamens. 3. Cross section of the seed, showing the coiled embryo. 4. Branch 

 of Salicornia berbacea. 5. Two joints magnified. 6. Ovary of a flower. 7. Flower of Blitum 

 capitatuin, with the fleshy calyx. 8. Vertical section of the ovary. 9. Flower of Beta vulgaria. 



SUBORDERS, TRIBES AND GENERA. 

 SPIROLOBEJE. Embryo a spiral coil. Leaves linear, fleshy. Stems continuous. (*) 



* TRIBE SAIJSOLE.E. Emb. a conic spir. Cal. winged on the back. (Lvs. spiny)... SALSOLA. 11 



* TRIBE SU^DE^:. Emb. a flat spiral. Cal. not append. Lvs.acntish CHENOPODINA.. 10 



8 CYCLOLOBE^E. Embryo annular, a ring. Leaves membranous, flat, or none. (*) 



