CXCII. UKTICE.E. C67 



Helxine Soleirolii. Helxine. . 



(J flower, involucred. <J and 9 flower (mag.). 5 flower, involucred (mag.). 



FLOWERS diclinous or polygamous. $ : PERIANTH calyciform, isostemonous ; 

 FILAMENTS uncoiling elasticaliy. $ : PEEIANTH calyciform, sometimes 0. OVARY 

 l-celled ; OVULE solitary, erect, orthotropous. FRUIT dry or fleshy. ALBUMEN more or 

 less copious. EMBRYO straight, axile, antitropous ; RADICLE superior. LEAVES 

 stipulate. 



HERBS, UNDERSHRUBS or SHRUBS, very rarely climbing (Urera), or TREES ; juice 

 watery, very rarely milky (Neraudia] ; whole plant often armed with hairs, some 

 simple, others furnished at the base with an outer layer of cellules containing an 

 acrid and burning juice ; epidermal cells often containing cystoliths (see p. 121). 

 STEM often angular ; bark thin, with very tenacious fibres. LEAVES alternate or 

 opposite, petioled, penninerved, entire, toothed or serrate, rarely palmi-nerved and 

 -lobed ; stipules adnate to the stem or petiole, lateral or axillary, free or joined to 

 those of the opposite leaf [rarely 0]. FLOWERS monoecious, dioecious or polygamous, 

 usually in cymes, very rarely solitary and axillary (Helxine), sometimes crowded 

 upon a common receptacle, which is convex (Pipturus, Procris, &c.) or concave 

 (Elatostemma] ; cymes loose or glomerate or capitate, solitary or geminate when the 

 inflorescence is definite ; sometimes spiked racemed or panicled when it is mixed 

 and indefinite ; pedicels frequently jointed ; bracts usually small and persistent, often 

 forming an involucre, and distinct or coherent, sometimes 0. FLOWERS $ : PERIANTH 

 single (CALYX), usually green, rarely coloured, gamosepalous, 4-5- (rarely 2-3-) 

 partite, sometimes monosepalous (Forskohlea) ; segments equal, concave, imbricate in 

 aestivation (Urtica, &c.), or valvate (Parietaria, &c.). STAMENS equal and opposite 

 to the segments, and inserted at their base ; filaments filiform, subulate or dilated, 

 usually transversely wrinkled, inflexed in aestivation and uncoiling elasticaliy in 

 flower ; anthers 2-celled, introrse, dorsifixed, cells contiguous, usually oblong, globose 

 or reniform, dehiscence longitudinal. OVARY rudimentary, sessile or stipitate, 

 glabrous or hairy. FLOWERS ? : PERIANTH (CALYX) tubular or 3-5-partite or 

 -lobed, often accrescent, rarely (Forskohlea, &c.). STAMENS rudimentary, scale- 

 like, opposite to the sepals (Pilea, Procris, &c.), usually 0. OVARY free or adnate to 

 the perianth (Pipturus, &c.), sessile or shortly stipitate, ovoid, l-celled ; style termi- 

 nal or sub-lateral, simple, or with a capitate or penicillate stigma, or stiguiatiferous 

 on one side, or very short, or obsolete ; stigma sessile, laciniate-multipartite j ovuU 



