3+0 



FRANK ENIAOE.E. 



[Hypogynous Exogens. 



Order CXVII. FRAXKENIACE^.— Frankeniads. 



Frankeniaceec, Aug. de St. HUaire, Mim. Plac. Centr. 39. (1815) ; DC. Prodr. 1. 349; Endl. Gen. cxcii.; 



Meisner, Gen. 22. 



Diagnosis.— Violal Exogens, with polypetalous flowers, a tubular fun-owed calyx, and 



hypogynous unguiculatc petals. 

 Herbaceous plants or under-shrubs. Stems very much branched. Leaves opposite, 



exstipulate, with a membranous sheathing base ; 

 often revolute at the edge. Flowers sessile in the 

 divisions of the branches, and terminal, embosomed 

 in leaves, usually pink. Sepals 4-5, united in a 

 furrowed tube, persistent, equal. Petals alternate 

 with the sepals, hypogynous, unguiculate, often 

 with appendages at'the'base of the limb. Stamens 

 hypogynous, either equal in number to the petals, 

 and alternate with them, or having a tendency to 

 double the number ; anthers roundish, versatile, 

 opening longitudinally. Ovary superior ; style 

 filiform, 2- 3- or 4-fid ; ovules 00, anatropal, at- 

 tached to parietal placentae, and usually arising from 

 long stalks. Capsule 1 -celled, inclosed in the calyx, 

 2- 3- or 4-valved, many-seeded. Seeds very mi- 

 nute ; embryo straight, erect, in the midst of albu- 

 men (divided into two plates, Geertn. Jil.) with a 

 very short inferior radicle. 



Allied on the one hand to Cloveworts, from which 

 they are distinguished by their different placenta- 

 tioii, and by the form of their embryo ; and on the 

 other to Violetworts, which differ in having a locu- 

 licidal, not septicidal, dehiscence. Their great 

 feature is the presence of a long furrowed calyx, 

 within which the petals are inserted below the 

 ovary, by means of "long stalks. The petals, more- 

 over j have generally a scaly appendage. Worms- 

 kioldia is a very anomalous plant. It seems more 

 nearly allied to this than any other Order, and cannot possibly belong to Droseracese, 

 in which it is placed by Acliille Richard provisionally. It seems to indicate a relation 

 between Frankeniads, on the one hand with Moringads, and on the other with Cappa- 

 rids. The nearest approach to the tubular calyx of Frankeniads is to be found in Crown- 

 worts (Malesherbiacese). 



This Order is chiefly found in the north of Africa and south of Europe. Two species 

 are natives of the Cape of Good Hope, one of South America, four of New Holland, and 

 three of temperate Asia. None have been found in tropical India or North America. 



Endlicher says that Frankeniads are mucilaginous and slightly aromatic. The leaves 

 of Beatsonia portulacifolia are used in St. Helena as tea. 



Fig. ccxxxin. 



GENERA. 



Frankenia, Linn. 

 Nothria, Uerg. 

 Franca, Michel. 



Beatsonia, Ro.rb. 

 Anisadenia, Wall. 



Wormskioldia, Thonn. 

 Trie! teems, DC. 



Sehnmaeheria, Ppr. 

 Sireptopetalum, Hocbt. 



Numbers. Gen. 4. Sp. 24. 



Caryoph yllacece. 

 Position. — Violaeeze. — Frankeniace^e. — Sauvagesiaceae. 



Fig. CCXXXI1I.— Frankenia eridfolia.— WOtb. 1. a flower ; 2. its stamens, <Stc. ; 3. a perpendicu- 

 lar section of tlie ovary ; 4 a section of a seed. 



N.B. A. Richard refers Wormskioldia to Turnerads. 



