114 DE CANDOLLE'S SYSTEM. 



for the beautiful flowers of numerous species, especially be- 

 longing to the genus Pelargonium. 



TYPICAL GENERA. Geranium, Erodium, Pelargonium. 



42. Balsaminaceae. Succulent herbaceous plants. Leaves 

 without stipules. Flowers usually unsymmetrical. Sepals 5, 

 irregular; the odd sepal spurred. Petals 4, irregular. ~ Sta- 

 mens 5. Carpels consolidated into a 5-celled ovary. Fruit 

 capsular, with 5 elastic valves. Seeds solitary, or numerous, 

 suspended ; albumen none. 



USES. Unimportant. They have generally gay flowers. 



TYPICAL GENERA. Balsamina, Impatiens. 



43. Linacea. Herbaceous plants or small shrubs. Leaves 

 without stipules, usually alternate. Petals fugitive. Flowers 

 symmetrical. Sepals 3-4-5, imbricated, persistent. Petals 

 hypogynous, unguiculate, twisted. Stamens united in a ring. 

 Ovary with about as many cells as sepals. Styles equal in 

 number to the cells ; stigmas capitate. Capsule many-celled. 

 Seeds in each cell single, inverted ; albumen present. 



USES. The mucilaginous seeds of Linum usitatissimum 

 are linseed. The leaves of L. catharticum are purgative. The 

 tough fibre of the first is the Flax of manufacturers. 



TYPICAL GENERA. Linum, Radiola. 



44. Oxalidacea:, Herbaceous plants, under-shrubs, or trees. 

 Leaves alternate, compound, often sensitive. Sepals 5, equal. 

 Petals equal, unguiculate. Stamens 10, more or less mon- 

 adelphous. Styles 5 ; stigmas capitate. Fruit capsular, mem- 

 branous, with 5 cells. Seeds few, within a fleshy integument, 

 which expels the seeds with elasticity. Embryo long, taper. 

 Albumen between cartilaginous and fleshy. 



USES. They are generally acid in a high degree. The 

 Blimbing and Carambola, acid fruits of the Indian Archipe- 

 lago, are the produce of the genus Averrho.a. The roots of 

 Oxalis Deppei form an agreeable esculent. 



TYPICAL GENERA. Oxalis, Averrhoa. 



45- Pittosporaceee. Leaves simple, alternate, without sti- 

 pules. Shrubs, trees, or half herbaceous plants, sometimes 

 twining. Sepals deciduous, imbricated. Petals hypogynous, 



