GROUP IV. — PHANEROGAillA : UICOITLEDONES : MONOCHLAMYDE^. 577 



superior, monomerous, -unilocular, or sometimes dimerous, with 

 two styles, and then rarely bilocular : ovule solitary, in different 

 positions. Seed commonly containing endosperm. The inflor- 

 escences in orders 1-3 are usually situated 

 two together at the base of a leafy dwarf- 

 shoot which springs from the axil of a 

 leaf, and they are cymose (Fig. 377). The 

 leaves are generally hirsute. Cystoliths 

 (p. 108) are commonly present. 



Order 1. Urticace.e. Ovary monomer- 

 ous : ovule central, orthotropous, erect. 

 Seed containing endosperm. They are 

 mostly herbs or shrubs without milky 

 juice and frequently provided with sting- 

 ing-hairs : leaves alternate, stipulate. 

 Flowers polygamous, monoecious, or dioe- 

 cious, in paniculate or glomerulate inflor- 

 escences. 



Fig. 377.— Part of the stem 

 of Urtica uvens, with a leaf (/) 

 in the axil of which is the 

 branch (m), at the base of 

 which are the inflorescences 

 (b), without any bracts (nat. 

 size). 



Urtica urens and dioica (Stinging Nettles) are known by the stinging hairs 

 which are distributed over their whole surface : perianth 2 + 2 ; the two outer 

 segments of the perianth of the ? flower are larger than the inner segments 

 (Fig. 378 B). In the former species the $ and ? flowers are contained iu 

 the same panicle, and the floral axis is but feebly developed; in the latter 

 they are on different plants, and the axis is well developed and bears leaves. 

 Bohmeria nivea, a native of China and Japan, has strong bast-fibres used for 

 weaving the material known in England as Grass-cloth. Parietaria officinalis^ 

 Wall-Pellitory, having polygamous flowers with a gamophyllous perianth, and 

 destitute of stinging-hairs, occurs occasionally on walls, by roadsides, etc. 



Order 2. Horaces. Ovary gener- 

 ally dimerous, and sometimes bilocu- 

 lar (Artocarpus) : ovule suspended, 

 anatropous or campylotropous, more 

 rarely basal and orthotropous : seed 

 with or without endosperm ; the fruit 

 is enveloped by the perianth (usually 

 2 + 2), which becomes fleshy, or by a 

 fleshy floral axis. Trees and shrubs 

 with milky juice, scattered leaves and 

 caducous stipules. 



Moms alha &n(i uifjra (SLxxXheixy) come from Asia; the flowers are disposed 

 in short catkins ; the catkins are borne singly on shoots, which, at the time of 



Fig. 378.— .4 staminal $ ; B c«r- 

 pellary 9 flowers of the Stinging 

 Nettle, Urtica : j) perianth ; u 

 stamen ; n' rudimentary ovary of 

 the (J flower; aji outer; ip inner 

 whorl of the perianth ; n stigma of 

 the ? flower (mag). 



