XII. PAPAVERACE^l. 217 



parietal placentas, many-ovuled. FRUIT capsular or siliyuose. SEEDS albuminous. 

 EMBRYO minute, basilar. STEM herbaceous. LEAVES alternate. 



Annual or perennial HERBS, rarely suffrutescent (Bocconia, Dendromecon) ; juice 

 milky, yellow, white, or red, rarely watery (Eschscholtzia, Hunnemannia, Platystemon, 

 &c.). LEAVES alternate, simple, penninerved, toothed or pennilobed. INFLORES- 

 CENCE terminal ; peduncles usually 1-flowered, rarely bearing an umbellate cyme 

 (Chelidonium) or panicle (Bc-conia, Macleya). FLOWERS 5 , regular, yellow or red, 

 very rarely blue (Meconopsis Wallichii, &o.). SEPALS 2 (rarely 3), free, or very 

 rarely coherent into a cap (Eschscholtzia) , lateral, overlapping each other, caducous. 

 PETALS hypogynous, very rarely perigynous (Eschscholtzia), equal, free, usually 

 double the number of the sepals, rarely 8 or 12, 2-3-seriate (Sanguinaria) , rarely 

 (Bocconia, Macleya), often crumpled before expansion, the outer equitanton the inner. 

 STAMENS hypogynous, very rarely perigynous (Eschscholtzia), free, usually oo many- 

 seriate, rarely 4-6 1 -seriate (Platystigma, section Meconella) ; filaments filiform ; anthers 

 2-celled, basifixed, dehiscence longitudinal. CARPELS connate into an ovoid or oblong 

 1- celled ovary ; placentas 2- oo, parietal, sometimes prolonged into vertical incomplete 

 septa (Papaver), sometimes marginal and filiform (Chelidonium, Argemone, Roemeria, 

 &c.) ; style short or obsolete ; stigmas as many as placentas, persistent, more or less 

 connate, sub-sessile, or arranged in rays on the surface of an orbicular disk formed by 

 the styles, and which crowns the ovary (Papaver) ; ovules anatropous, ascending or 

 horizontal, micropyle inferior, raphe superior or lateral. Ripe CARPELS very rarely 

 distinct (Platystemon), generally connate into a capsule, or one-celled siliqua, 

 rarely 2-celled owing to a cellular development of the placentas (Glaucium) ; opening- 

 cither by valves between the placentas (Papaver), or in two or four valves separating 

 from below upwards (Chelidonium), or from above downwards, leaving the placentas 

 exposed (Glaucium, Stylophorum) ; rarely fleshy when young (Bocconia, Sanguinaria) . 

 SEEDS usually numerous, rarely definite (Macleya), or solitary (Bocconia), globose or 

 ovoid, sub-reniform (Papaver), or crested along the raphe (Chelidonium, &c.) or not ; 

 albumen copious, oily. EMBRYO minute, basilar ; radicle near the hilum and centri- 

 fugal. 



PRINCIPAL GENERA. 



* Platystemon. Platystigma. * Papaver. * Argemone. * Meconopsis. 

 Stylophorum. * Sanguinaria. * Bocconia. * Glaucium. Rcemeria. 



* Chelidonium. Hunnemannia. * Eschscholtzia. Dendromecon. 



Papaveraceee are closely allied to Fumariaceee, which are only distinguished by their irregular petals, 

 their definite, usually diadelphous stamens, and their non-oleaginous albumen. They approach Cmciferee in 

 their flower formed on the binary type, in hypopetalisin, parietal placentation, capsular siliquose fruit, 

 polyandry (Megacarpad) , and oily seed ; but Crueiferee are usually tetradynamous, their ovary is two- 

 celled, their ovules are campylotropous, and their seed exalbtiminous. Papavcracete are also near 

 Ranunculacece, Berberidece, and NympJueacece (see these families). One monotypal California!! genus, 

 Crossosoma, placed among JRanunculaceee, approaches Papaveracece in its monosepalous calyx, polyandry, 

 perigynous petals and stamens (as in Eschscholtzia), and in the separation of the carpels (as in Platystemon} ; 

 it differs in its isomerous calyx and corolla, and multifid aril enveloping the seeds. 



Papaveraeece inhabit the temperate and subtropical regions of the northern hemisphere ; but few are met 

 with in the tropics or southern hemisphere. Some species are now dispersed over cultivated ground through- 

 out the world. The most important of the Papaveraeece with milky juice is the Papaver somnifemm, an 



