THALAMIFLOK^!. 217 



petals and alternate with five scales ; moreover the capsule bursts septici- 

 dally, so that the placentas are at the edges of the valves. Violacese are 

 related more distantly to Passifloraceae. In the native species of the 

 genus Viola, it is not uncommon so find apetalous flowers, especially in 

 the autumn. The pollen-grains are ellipsoid or prismatic. 



Distribution. An Order consisting of a few genera, some, such as 

 Viola and Alsodeia, rich in species, the greater number with but few. 

 The irregular Violaceae belong chiefly to Europe, North Asia, and North 

 America, where they are generally small herbs, and to South America, 

 where they are mostly shrubby ; the regular genera, Alsodeia &c., belong 

 to South America, Africa, and Malacca. 



Qualities and Uses. The Order is characterized in general by emetic 

 properties, which are especially developed in the South- American lonidia ; 

 /. parviflorum, I. Poaya, I. Ituba, are used there instead of Ipecacuanha, 

 and the last was formerly supposed to be the true Ipecacuanha-plant. 

 Viola canma, the common Dog-violet of our hedges, is said to be bene- 

 ficial in skin diseases ; and the same properties are attributed to Anchietia 

 salutaris in Brazil, where it is also used as a purgative. The roots of 

 the Sweet Violet, V. odorata, are emetic and purgative ; its seeds are also 

 purgative. V. tricolor is the Pansy or Heart's-ease ; its leaves have been 

 supposed to contain hydrocyanic acid, since they smell like peach-blossom 

 when bruised. 



The SAUVAGESIACEJE form a small group sometimes separated from 

 Violaceae on account of the characters mentioned above. They are 

 related to the Hypericacese through Parnassia. 



FRANKENIACE^E constitute a small and unimportant Order bearing 

 very close affinity to the tribe Silenese of the Order Caryophyllaceae in 

 the floral envelopes and stamens ; but the placentas are parietal, and the 

 embryo is straight, which causes them to approach Violaceee, and espe- 

 cially Sauvagesiaceae, from which, however, they differ in their united 

 sepals and extrorse anthers. Most of the plants are found in South 

 Europe and North Africa ; but a few species are scattered in other parts 

 of the world. They are said to be mucilaginous and aromatic. Illustra- 

 tive Genus : Frankenia, L. 



TAMARIOACE^E are shrubs or herbs of fastigiate growth, with 

 alternate scale-like leaves, usually pitted ; flowers in close spikes or 

 racemes ; calyx 4-5-parted, persistent ; petals distinct, springing from an 

 hypogynous disk, equalling the petals or twice as many, distinct or co- 

 herent ; ovary superior, ovules numerous, ascending ; capsule 3-valved, 

 1-celled, with 3 placentas either at the base or 1 in the middle of each 

 valve ; seeds comose or winged, without perisperm ; embryo straight ; 

 radicle inferior. Illustrative Genus : Tamarix, L. 



Affinities, &c. Endlicher looked upon this Order as intermediate between 

 Hypericaceee (through Reaumuriaceae) and Lythracese, while Lindley 

 thought it stood rather between Violaceae and Orassulaceae, antl De 

 Candolle placed it near Portulacacea3, as also do Bentham and Hooker, 

 who include in it Reaumuriece and Fouqueria. Frorn^all the above, how- 

 ever, it differs in the nature of the seeds. 



