180 Capparidaceae 



cinerous with appressed 2-forked hairs; calyx-lobes 6-7 mm. 

 long; petals yellow, cruciform; pods in rather short but lax 

 racemes, on pedicels about 8 mm. long, widely spreading, straight 

 or slightly curved upwards, 4-sided, 1.5-1.75 mm. broad, 5-6 cm. 

 long; beak slender, scarcely 1 mm. broad and but little longer; 

 seeds brownish, about 1.5 mm. long. 



Common on the sand-dunes along the seashore. Flowering nearly the 

 year round. 



24. KONIG Adans. SWEET ALYSSUM. 



Perennial herbs, pubescent or canescent with forked 

 hairs, with entire leaves and small white flowers in ter- 

 minal racemes. Petals obovate, entire. Filaments slen- 

 der, with 2 small glands at the base. Capsule compressed, 

 oval or orbicular. Seeds 1 in each cell. Cotyledons 

 accumbent. 



1. K. maritima (L.) R. Br. Ascending or sometimes pro- 

 cumbent, freely branching, 1-3 dm. high, minutely pubescent with 

 appressed hairs ; basal leaves oblanceolate, narrowed into a petiole ; 

 flowers white, fragrant, about 4 mm. broad; fruiting pedicels 

 ascending, 6-8 mm. long; capsules glabrous, pointed, oval or 

 nearly orbicular, 2-3 mm. long. (Alyssum maritimum L.) 



An escape from gardens, along streets and in waste places. Flowering 

 nearly throughout the year. 



Family 36. CAPPARIDACEAE. CAPER FAMILY. 



Herbs or rarely shrubs or trees with pungent or acrid 

 watery juice, simple or palmately compound alternate 

 leaves and axillary or terminal, solitary or racemose, 

 mostly regular and perfect flowers. Sepals 4. Petals 4, 

 sessile or clawed. Stamens usually 6, equal, inserted on 

 the receptacle ; anthers oblong, longitudinally dehiscent. 

 Ovary sessile or stipitate, 1-celled ; ovules many, borne 

 on parietal placentae. Fruit a capsule or berry. Seeds 

 mostly reniform ; endosperm none ; cotyledons some- 

 what coiled. 



Herbs. 1. CLEOME. 



Shrubs. 2. ISOMERIS. 



