164 



DE CANDOLLE'S SYSTEM. 



Andrachne telephioides. 1. A male flower. 2. A female flower. 3. A pistil with 

 the scales at its base. 4. A transverse section of an ovary. 5. A ripe seed. 6. A 

 vertical section of it. 



143. Chlomntkacete. Herbaceous plants. Stems jointed. 

 Leaves opposite with intervening stipules. Flowers herm- 

 aphrodite or unisexual. Stamens lateral; anthers 1-celled, 

 with a fleshy connective. Ovary 1-celled. Ovule pendu- 

 lous. Fruit drupaceous. Embryo minute at the apex of 

 fleshy albumen. 



USES. Chloranthus officinalis and others are powerful aro- 

 matics, especially the roots, which have been used with suc- 

 cess in dangerous typhus. 



TYPICAL GENUS. Chloranthus. 



144. Piperacea. Shrubs or herbaceous plants. Leaves 

 without stipules. Flowers usually sessile in spikes, herm- 

 aphrodite. Stamens definite or indefinite. Ovary superior, 

 1-celled, containing a single erect ovule ; stigma sessile, sim- 

 ple. Fruit somewhat fleshy, indehiscent. Seed erect, with 

 the embryo lying in a fleshy sac or vitellus placed at that 

 end of the seed which is opposite the hilum, on the outside 

 of the albumen. 



USES. The pungent aromatic peppers of the shops are 

 obtained from different species; Piper nigrum yields black 

 and white pepper; P. longum the long pepper. Cubebs is 

 the pepper of P. caninum and others. P. Betel and me- 

 thysticum are both intoxicating. 



TYPICAL GENERA. Piper, Peperomia. 



