MANUAL OF NATURAL HISTORY. 459 



hiscent ; albumen farinaceous. Aquatic, 

 floating plants. Common throughout the 

 northern Hemisphere, but rare in the south- 

 ern ; in South America they are represented 

 by the gigantic Victoria Regina. 



X. ORDER. GUTTIFERALS (Guttiferales). 



Flowers monodichlamydeous ; calyx imbricated ; 

 corolla imbricated or contorted ; stamens indefinite ; 

 placentae axile ; albumen little or none. 



1. FAMILY. Reaumuriads (Reaumuriacese). Shrub- 



by; leaves alternate, exstipulate, scale-like, 

 glandular ; calyx 5-partite ; petals five, un- 

 equal-sided ; stamens definite or indefinite, 

 monadelphous or polyadelphous ; anthers in- 

 trorse ; carpels free, 2-4-5 ; ovules anatropal ; 

 styles long, distinct ; fruit capsular, 2-5-valved, 

 2-5-celled ; seeds definite, shaggy. Occur on 

 the coasts of the Mediterranean, and in salt 

 plains in mild parts of Northern Asia. 



2. FAMILY. Tutsans (Hypericacese). Herbs, shrubs, 



or trees ; juice resinous ; leaves usually oppo- 

 site, exstipulate, dotted ; inflorescence vari- 

 able ; flowers yellow, red, or white ; sepals 

 4-5, persistent, unequal ; petals 4-5, oblique, 

 often with black dots ; aestivation contorted ; 

 stamens usually polyadelphous ; carpels 2-5 ; 

 ovules mostly anatropal ; styles long, usually 

 distinct ; stigmas truncate or capitate ; fruit 

 capsular, dry or fleshy, many-valved, many- 



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