THALAMIFLOEvE. 229 



with Cistaceee and, being sometimes perigynous, also with Saxifragacese, 

 with which latter group, indeed, it is associated by Hooker. A. W. 

 Bennett places it near Sauvagesiaceae, and describes the movement of the 

 stamens observable in this plant as a provision for securing cross fertili- 

 zation. 



Distribution. There are a considerable number of species, distributed 

 through 8 or 10 genera. The plants are generally dispersed throughout 

 the temperate and warmer regions of the globe. 



Qualities and Uses. When a yellow juice resembling that of Clusiaceas 

 exists, it is more or less purgative, as in some American Hyperica, and 

 still more in the species of Vis-mia, which yield a gum-resin like gamboge ; 

 that of V. yuianensis (Mexico and Surinam) is known as American Gummi 

 Gutta. In the European species of Hypericum the essential oil of the 

 glands predominates over the yellow juice, and they are sometimes used 

 as tonics and astringents. H. Androscemum and the many other native 

 species have a strong and peculiar odour, especially when dried ; //. hir- 

 cinum is foetid. 



REAUMURIACE^: consist of a few plants scarcely separable from Hype- 

 ricacese. They have shaggy seeds with a small quantity of perisperm, and 

 a pair of appendages at the base of the petals. Bentham and Hooker 

 refer them to Tamaricaceae, from which they differ in their solitary 

 flowers and floury perisperm. 



ELATINACE.'E (WATER PEPPERS) are little annual marsh-plants, 

 with opposite dotless leaves and membranaceous stipules ; flowers minute, 

 axillary; sepals and petals 2-5 ; capsule 2-5-celled, with an equal number 

 of styles with capitate stigmas ; seeds numerous, aperispermic. This 

 little" Order consists of a few species scattered all over the world, gene- 

 rally acrid in character. Their relations are variously regarded by 

 different authors : formerly they were placed near Alsinece in Caryo- 

 phyllacese, from which their many-celled ovary divides them ; they 

 appear at least equally related to Hypericaceae, from which they differ in 

 the presence of stipules and the isomerous flowers ; they come near to 

 Zygophyllaceas, as shown by Lindley, the transition being effected through 

 the genus Anc&ropa. 



SAPINDACE^E. SOAP-WOKTS. 

 Coh. Sapindales, Benth. et Hook. 



Diagnosis. Trees, shrubs, or rarely herbs, with simple or com- 

 pound' alternate or opposite leaves ; flowers mostly unsymmetrical and 

 irregular, the 4-5 sepals and petals imbricated in aestivation ; the latter 

 often provided with a scale at the base ; the 5-10 stamens inserted on a 

 fleshy hypogynous or perigynous disk ; ovary 2-3-celled and lobed, with 

 2 (rarely more) ovules in each cell ; embryo mostly curved or convoluted, 

 without perisperm. 



