THALAMIFLOR.E. 205 



are the ripened carpels, which are contained in separate sockets in the top 

 of the thalamus; the seeds have large flat flesny cotyledons applied 

 against the plumule, which is unusually developed. The seeds, as also 

 the tubers of N. luteum and the rhizomes of N. speciosum, are esculent, 

 being full of farina at certain seasons. 



SAPtEACENIACE/E are polyandrous and hypogynous Bog-plants, 

 with hollow pitcher-shaped or trumpet-shaped leaves, and regular" poly- 

 audrous hypogynous flowers. Illustrative Genera : Sarracenia, L. ; Dar- 

 lingtonia, Torr. 



Affinities, &c. These curious plants, chiefly remarkable for their 

 anomalous leaves, forming ascidia or pitchers, are few in number, con- 

 sisting of a few species of Sarracenia in the United States, a Darlingtonia 

 in California, and lleliamplwra in Guiana. Sarracenia has a very large, 

 angular, peltate stigma, while that of Heliamphora is simple and truncate. 

 They are regarded as related to Ranunculacese by the 4-5-merous and 

 imbricated envelopes and the numerous hypogynous stamens, while the 

 coherence of the carpels into a compound ovary brings them at the same 

 time near Papaveracese ; but the placentas are axile. The pitchers are 

 in this case formed by the disproportionate growth of the marginal as 

 contrasted with the central portions of the leaf. They secrete a digestive 

 fluid which causes the solution of insects, c., which find their way into 

 the pitchers, and which solution is in time absorbed by them. 



PAPAVEEACE^. THE POPPY ORDEE. 



Cuh. Parie tales, Benth. et Hook. 



Diagnosis. Herbs with milky (white or coloured) juice, alternate 

 exstipulate simple or lobed leaves ; flowers regular, 2-merous or 

 4-merous ; sepals caducous ; stamens polyandrous, hypogynous, 

 rarely perigyuous ; ovary syncarpous, 1-celled, with 2 or many 

 parietal placentas. 



Character. 



Thalamus flat or expanded. Calyx : sepals 2, rarely 3, caducous. 

 Corolla : petals 4, rarely 6, hypogynous, mostly crumpled up in 

 aestivation. Stamens free and distinct, indefinite, hypogynous ; 

 anthers 2-celled, bursting longitudinally. Ovary free, composed 

 of 2 or more carpels (very rarely distinct), 1-celled ; ovules nu- 

 merous, very rarely solitary ; placentas broad, parietal, on the 

 projecting incomplete dissepiments ; style short or none ; stiymas 

 radiating, double, opposite the imperiect dissepiments ; ovules 

 anatropous or amphitropous. Fruit capsular (tig. 345) with a 

 number of placentas on imperfect septa, or pod^-shaped with 

 parietal placentas, the dehiscence valvular or porous ; seeds 

 mostly numerous ; embryo minute, straight, at the base of fleshy 

 oily perisperm. Illustrative Genera : Chelidonium, Tournef . ; 

 Papaver, Tournef. ; Glaucium, Tournef. 



