486 



CHLiENACEiE. 



[Hypogynous Exogens. 



Order CLXXX1V. CHL^NACEiE.— Chiracs. 



Chlenacese, Thouars' Hist. Veg. Afr. Austr. 46. (1806) ; DC. Prodr. 1.521. (1824) ; Endl. Gen. cciv.; 



Meisner, p. 35. 



Diagnosis, — Geranial Exogens, with regular unsvmmetrical flowers, in a permanent cup- 

 like involucre, monacklphous stamens, and abundant albumen. 



Handsome trees or shrubs, with fine showy flowers usually of a red colour. Leaves 

 alternate, feather-veined, entire, sometimes plaited longitudinally ; stipules terminating 

 the branches in a conical way, 

 and rolling up or inclosing 

 the leaves, quickly deciduous. 

 Flowers in corymbs, racemes 

 or panicles. Involucre 1-2- 

 flowered, persistent, of variable 

 form and texture. Sepals 3, 

 small ; aestivation imbricated. 

 Petals 5, hypogynous, convo- 

 lute, broader at the base, some- 

 times cohering there. Stamens 

 either very numerous, or 

 sometimes only 10 ; filaments 

 either cohering at the base 

 within a cup-like disk, or ad- 

 hering to the tube of petals ; 

 anthers roundish, adnate, or 

 loose, 2-celled. Ovary single, 

 3-celled ; style 1, filiform ; 

 stigma triple ; ovules 2 or 

 more, anatropal, pendulous 

 from the inner angle. Capsule 

 3-celled, or 1 -celled by abor- 

 tion. Seeds solitary or nume- 

 rous, attached to the centre, 

 suspended ; embryo green, 

 central ; albumen fleshy ac- 

 cording to Jussieu, or horny 

 according to Du Petit Thouars ; 

 cotyledons foliaceous, wavy ; 

 radicle superior. 



These are very curious 

 plants, presenting the singular 

 properties of 3 in the calyx, 5 

 in the corolla and stamens, and 

 3 in the ovary ; besides which, 

 their flowers are inclosed in 

 an involucre, which is usually _ 



5-toothed. The monadelphous stamens and involucrated flowers seem to indicate an 

 affinity between these plants and Mallowworts. But Jussieu refers the Order rather to 

 the vicinity of Ebenads, considering it monopetalous. Very little is, in fact, known o 

 it. I formerly supposed it to have some relation to the Rock-roses (Cistaceaj), having 

 had no opportunity of examining the plants myself. The acquisition of 2 or 3 

 species has, however, satisfied me, that if the calyx were valvate the Chlenads could 

 not be removed from the Malval Alliance. The tendency of their calyx being, 

 however, to the imbricated structure, the Geranial Alliance necessarily becomes their 

 station, where they may be regarded as a connecting link with Malvals. Ihe 

 propriety of placing them in the Geranial Alliance seems to be confirmed by Balsams 

 exhibiting a similar tendency to the unsymnietrical structure. 



Whatever the real place of this group may eventually prove to be, it is certain that 



Fig. CCCXXXV. 



Fig. CCCXXXV.— Leptolsena multiftora. 

 its structure ; '3. a section of its seed. 



1. a perpendicular section of its flower; 2. a diagram of 



