EXOGEN-E THALAMIFLOR^:. 



113 



40. Vitacece. Scrambling, climbing shrubs, with tumid 

 separable joints. Leaves with stipules. Flowers small, 

 green. Calyx small, nearly entire. Petals in aestivation val- 

 vate, and often inflected at the point ; stamens opposite 

 them, inserted upon the disk. Ovary 2-celled ; ovules erect, 

 definite. Berry pulpy ; albumen hard. Embryo small. 



USES. The common Vine, Vitis vinifera, is well known ; 

 besides which there are other species, in which reside similar 

 qualities, although very inferior. The leaves of some kinds of 

 Cissus, being acrid, are used in bringing indolent tumours 

 to suppuration. 



TYPICAL GENERA. Vitis, Cissus, Ampelopsis. 



41. Geraniacea. Strong-scented herbs or shrubs with sti- 

 pulate leaves. Stems tumid, and separable at the joints. 

 Sepals 5, ribbed. Petals 5, unguiculate. Stamens definite, 

 often monadelphous. Fruit of 5 elastic cocci, rolling back 

 from a long-beaked gynobase, to which the hardened styles 

 adhere. Seeds solitary, pendulous, without albumen. Coty- 

 ledons convolute and plaited. 



USES. The root of Geranium maculatum is a powerful 

 astringent. Otherwise the order is of no importance, except 



Geranium sylvaticum. 1. The stamens and style. 2. The unripe fruit surrounded 

 by a calyx. 3. The rostrate gynobase, from which the cocci are rolling back with 

 elasticity ; one has dropped off. 4. A transverse section of a seed. 



