CLXXI. SELAGINE^K. 611 



COROLLA monopetalous, hypogynous, irregular or sub-regular, anisostemonous. 

 STAMENS 4, didynamous, inserted on the corolla. OVARY 2-4>-celled ; OVULES pendu- 

 lous, anatropous. FRUIT a drupe, cells \-4i-seeded. EMBRYO straight, albuminous-, 

 RADICLE superior. 



SHRUBS or UNDERSHRUBS. LEAVES alternate, rarely opposite, simple, entire or 

 toothed, usually studded with resinous glands, exstipulate. FLOWERS 5 , axillary ; 

 pedicels 1-flowered, rarely branched into a cyme, ebracteate. CALYX 5-partite or 

 -fid, persistent, scarious. COROLLA monopetalous, 5-lobed, sub-regular or ringent, 

 aestivation imbricate. STAMENS 4, inserted at the base of the corolla, alternate with 

 its lobes ; filaments filiform ; anthers introrse, versatile, cells confluent. OVARY 

 2-celled, cells antero-posterior, sometimes more or less perfectly subdivided by a 

 secondary septum from the axis ; style terminal, simple ; stigma emarginate, rarely 

 2-fid; ovules 2 collateral in each carpel, rarely 4 imbricate in. pairs, pendulous, 

 anatropous. DRUPE succulent or nearly dry, 2-celled or more or less completely 

 4-celled. SEEDS inverted. EMBRYO cylindric, in the axis of a scanty fleshy 

 albumen ; cotyledons semi-cylindric ; radicle near the hilum, superior. 



GENERA. 

 *Myoporum (Stenochilus). Pholidia. . Eremopliila. Bontia. 



Myoporinece are connected with Verbenacece, as we have already shown. They approach Selaginece 

 in hypogynism, the anisostemonous imbricate corolla, didynamous stamens, 1-celled anthers, 2 car- 

 pels, pendulous and anatropous ovules, albuminous embryo and alternate leaves ; but Selaginece 

 differ in their terminal spiked inflorescence, 1-ovuled cells, and fruit composed of 2 achenes. The 

 affinities are the same between Myoporinece and Globulariece, but these differ in their terminal capitulum, 

 their 1-celled and -ovuled ovary, and their fruit being a caryopsis. 



Myoporinece are mostly natives of Australia and some of the Pacific Islands. One genus (Bontia) 

 is found in the Antilles. They are generally studded with resinous glands, and in some species the 

 resin exudes in transparent drops. They are of no use to man ; some (Myoporum parviflomm, &c.) are 

 cultivated in Europe a ornamental plants. 



CLXXI. 



, Jussieu. *SELAGINACE.E, LindL] 



COROLLA monopetalous, hypogynous, sub-regular, anisostemonous, aestivation imbri- 

 cate. STAMENS 4 nearly equal, or 2 inserted on the corolla. OVARY of 2 1-ovuled 

 cells ; OVULES pendulous, anatropous. FRUIT of 2 achenes. EMBRYO albuminous j 

 RADICLE superior. 



HERBS or branching UNDERSHRUBS, LEAVES alternate or fascicled, sometimes 

 sub-opposite, simple, usually linear, exstipulate. FLOWERS $ , generally irregular, 

 bracteate, spiked, solitary or panicled or corymbose. CALYX persistent, mono- 



1 Reduced by Harvey to a sub-order of Verbenacea. ED< 

 BB 9 



