588 PART III. THE CLASSIFICATION OF PLANTS'. 



The juice of the berries of Phytolacca decandra, a native of North America, is 

 used as a colouring- matter in the manufacture of wine and in other processes. 



V Order 4. NYCTAGINACEJ]. Perianth a simple whorl, petaloid, 

 gamophyllous, 5-leaved ; the basal portion persists as an investment 

 to the fruit, often becoming succulent or woody : stamens in 

 greater or smaller numbers (1-30) ; when isomerous they usually 

 alternate with the perianth-leaves, but are sometimes opposite to 

 them (Colignonia) : ovary monomerous, unilocular, with one basal 

 campylotropous ovule ; the flowers are surrounded by an involucre 

 or epicalyx of 3, 5, or many bracts, enclosing 1, 3, or many flowers. 



Mirabilis Jalapa, the Marvel of Peru, is an ornamental plant from America ; 

 the roots are often substituted for those of the true Jalap. Whilst generally 

 sepaloid, the involucre is petaloid in Bougainvillea where it encloses three 

 flowers, and in Tricycla where it encloses but one : in the latter case, as the 

 single flower appears to be terminal, the involucre may be more correctly des- 

 cribed as an epicalyx of bracteoles (see p. 494). The embryo of Abronia is 

 pseudo-monocotyledonous. 



Cohort VI. Asarales. Affinities doubtful. Mowers mono- or 

 ambi-sporangiate : ovary inferior : ovules numerous. 



Order 1. AniSTOLOCHiACEJ). Mowers 3-6-merous, ambisporan- 

 giate : perianth of three connate petaloid segments forming a three- 

 lobed tube : stamens 6 or 12, with extrorse anthers : ovary usually 

 6-locular, with numerous ovules in two longitudinal rows along the 

 inner angles of each loculus. The minute embryo is enclosed in 

 the copious endosperm. They are herbs or shrubs, often climbing, 

 with large leaves. 



In Asarum enropaum (Asarabacca) the three lobes of the perianth are equal ; 

 alternating with them are three scales which probably represent a corolla : the 



twelve stamens (apparently in two whorls) 

 are free, and the connective is produced (Fig. 

 394). The annual shoots of the creeping stem 

 bear four cataphyllary leaves, two large petio- 

 late reniform foliage-leaves, and a terminal 

 flower. The lateral branches spring from the 

 axils of the uppermost folinge-leaf and of the 

 scales. In Aristolocliia, the Birthwort (see 

 Fig. 293, p. 456), the limb of the perianth is 

 obliquely lipped ; the six anthers are sessile 

 and adnate to the short style (see p. 518). 

 Fi. 394.-^am europium. A ' Si ! jho is * climber frequently cultivated : 

 Longitudinal section of the flower A ' ' I*fftfrti| though not indigenous, is 

 (mag.); p perianth. (After Sachs.) found wild in Britain, generally on ruins ; the 



