MANUAL OF NATURAL HISTORY. 469 



known, namely, the Baobab-tree of Senegal 



(Adansonia digitata). 



XIII. ORDER. CISTALS (Cistales). 



Flowers monodichlamydeous ; placentae parietal 

 or sutural ; embryo curved or spiral ; albumen little 

 or none. 



1. FAMILY. Gaper-plants (Capparidacese). Herbs, 



shrubs, or trees ; leaves alternate, exstipu- 

 late, or with spines at the base ; flowers soli- 

 tary or racemose ; sepals four, often partial- 

 ly coherent ; petals 4-8 or 0, usually un- 

 equal ; stamens 4-6 or 0, on an elon- 

 gated hemispherical torus ; ovary 1 -celled ; 

 placentae parietal ; ovules amphitropal or 

 campylotropal ; style 0, or filiform ; stigma 

 generally round ; fruit pod-shaped and de- 

 hiscent, or fleshy and indehiscent ; seeds 

 exalbuminous ; embryo curved. Tropical 

 genera widely distributed, but especially 

 abundant in Africa. Mostly stimulant ; the 

 flower-buds of Capparis spinosa constitute 

 " capers/' 



2. FAMILY. Mignonettes (Luteolacese). Herbs, 



rarely shrubs ; leaves alternate, stipules 

 minute, gland-like ; flowers in racemes or 

 spikes ; calyx many-parted ; petals 4-6, un- 

 equal; torus glandular; stamens 10-24; 

 ovary 3-lobed, 1 -celled ; placentae parietal ; 

 ovules amphitropal or campulitropal ; stigmas 

 three ; fruit dry and membranous, or succu- 



