LIII. RESTIACE^E. 873 



surrounding the sterile carpels ; ovules solitary in each carpel, pendulous near the 

 top of the inner angle, orthotropous. CAPSULE crowned by the style, surrounded by 

 the perianth, 2-3-celled, loculicidal. SEEDS pendulous, ovoid or sub-cylindric, 

 longitudinally ribbed ; ribs membranous, hyaline, breaking up into fine hairs ; testa 

 coriaceous, shining ; endopleura ; albumen farinaceous. EMBRYO diametrically 

 opposite to the hilum, pressed to the outside of the albumen, antitropous, sub- 

 globose or lenticular. 



PKINC1PAL GENERA. 



Eriocaulon. Tonina. Philodice. Psepalanthus. Lachnocaulon. 



Eriocaidonece, with Commelynca, Xyrideee, Restiacece, and Centrolepidea, form Von Martius' class 

 of Enantioblastea, so named on account of the invariable position of the embryo at the opposite end of 

 the seed to the hilum. Eriocaulonece approach Restiacea in the ovary with 2-3 1-ovuled cells, the pen- 

 dulous and orthotropous ovule, the structure of the seed and the direction of the embryo ; but Restiacete 

 are separated by their inflorescence, the completely glumaceous perianth, the 1 -seriate stamens, 1 -celled 

 anthers, and the smooth testa with naked or strophiolate hilum, &c. 



Eriocaulonea are tolerably rich in species ; two-thirds of the family are tropical American, and half 

 of the remainder are North Australian. A few species are found in tropical Asia, Madagascar, and the 

 islands of South Africa. They are less rare in North America, where they extend to 44 N. latitude ; 

 one alone (Eriocaulon septangulare) inhabits North America and Scotland, where it has been met with 

 in Skye [and in the west of Ireland]. 



Respecting the properties of this family, nothing is known except as regards Eriocaulon setacetim, of 

 which the herbage, cooked in oil, is used as a popular antipsoric in India. 



LIII. RESTIACEJS. 



(JUNCORUM genera, Jussieu. EESTIACE^E, Br. et CENTROLEPIDE^E, Desvaux.) 



FLOWERS diclinous. PERIANTH inferior, calyciform, of 2-6 2-seriate glumes, or 

 imperfect. STAMENS 32. OVARY 3- 2- 1 -celled ; OVULES solitary, orthotropous, pendu- 

 lous. FRUIT a 3-celled capsule or a nut. SEED albuminous. EMBRYO antitropous, 

 outside the albumen. STEM or SCAPE. LEAVES all radical or cauline, sheathing. 

 FLOWERS spiked or racemed. 



HERBS or UNDERSHRUBS with a creeping rhizome. STEMS branched-knotty or 

 simple. LEAVES either all radical, crowded, or cauline alternate, sheathing at the 

 base, sheath split, blade entire, narrow-linear or arrested. FLOWERS regular, spiked 

 racemed or panicled, mixed with scarious bracts, usually diclinous, rarely 5 (Lepy- 

 rodia). PERIANTH glumaceous, of 4-6 2-seriate glumes, 2 of the outer lateral, and 1 

 posterior the inner larger or smaller, persistent in the 9 flowers ; sometimes of a 

 single scale. STAMENS 2-3, opposite to the inner glumes, and inserted at their base, 

 sterile or absent in the ? flowers ; Jilaments filiform, usually free ; anthers 1 -celled, 

 dorsifixed, peltate, rarely 2-celled (Lyginia, Lepidanthus, Anarthria, &c.), dehiscence 

 longitudinal, introrse. OVARY free, 3-2-celled, rarely 1-celled (Chcetonthus, Lepto- 

 carpus, Loxocarya] ; styles 1-3, continuous with the back of the carpels, distinct, or 

 jointed at the base ; stigmas 1-3, plumose, usually (?) introrse ; ovules solitary in 

 each cell, pendulous, orthotropous. FRUIT a loculicidal capsule, or a follicle or nut. 



