638 



niSTOIJY OF THE VK«ETABI.K KINGDOM. 



Tlie corolla is composed of five flat and regular 

 petals. The stamina, five in mimber, sometimes 

 ten, alternate with the petals, and are iVee. 

 Sometimes there are appendages of various forms 

 on the face of each petal. The stamina are gene- 

 rally perigjnous, and not hjpogynous. The 

 ovary is one-celled, rarely tvo or three-celled. 

 In the former case, it contains a great number 

 of ovules attached to three or five simple or bifid 

 parietal trophosperms. In the other, the disse- 

 piments appear formed by the trophosperms 

 projecting in the form of plates, which meet and 

 unite in the centre of the ovary. The stigmas, 

 generally of the same number as the tropho- 

 sperms or the cells, are sessile and radiating. 

 The fruit is a capsule, with one or more cells, 

 opening by its upper half only, into three, four, 

 or five valves, bearing one of the trophosperms 

 on the middle of their inner surface. The seeds, 

 which are often covered with a loose tissue, con- 

 tain an erect, nearly cylindrical embryo, in the 

 interior of a thin endosperm, which is some- 

 times wanting. 



The family of droseraceie differs from the 

 violarieoe, to wliich.it comes very near, by its 

 perigynous insertion, the absence of stipules, 

 and the constant regularity of the flower. The 

 species are marsh plants, and natives of temper- 

 ate climates. 



The drosercF or sundews, which are somewhat 

 acrid, are said to be poisonous to cattle. 



Vioi.ARiE.R, Dccandolle. Consisting of herbs 

 or shrubs, with alternate, very rarely opposite 

 leaves, furnished with two persistent stipules. 

 The flowers are axillar and pedunculate. The 

 calyx is composed of five sepals, which are equal 

 or unequal, free, or slightly connected at the 

 base, which is sometimes prolonged beneath their 

 point of attachment. The corolla is composed 

 of five unequal petals, of which the lower is 

 prolonged at its base into a more or less elon- 

 gated spur; very rarely the corolla is formed of 

 five regular petals. The stamina, five in num- 

 ber, axe almost sessile, jilaccd close together, and 

 in contact by the sides, with two introrsal cells. 

 • The two which are situated towards the lower 

 petal, jiretty fi-equcntly present an ajipondage 

 in the fonn of a recurved horn, which arises 

 from their dorsal part, and is prolonged into the 

 spur. The ovary is globular, unilocular, and 

 contains numerous ovules attached to three 

 parietal trophosperms. The style is simple, a 

 little geniculate at the base, enlarged towards its 

 jipper part, which is terminated l)y a somewhat 

 lateral stigma, presenting a small semicircular 

 pit. The fruit is a unilateral capsule, opening 

 by three valves, each bearing a trophosperni on 

 the middle of its inner surface. The seeds con- 

 tain an erect embryo in a fleshy endosperm. 



The violarieip, which are composed of the 

 genera viola, ionidium, hi/hanl/iits, nniadtia- coit- 



lioria, alsodeia, are distinguished from the cisto* 

 by their irregular corolla, their five stamina, 

 their enlarged and concave stigma, &c. They 

 are also allied to the polypalea:, and droseracea . 

 Violets are lavourite garden flowers. Part of 

 the ipecacuan of commerce is derived from South 

 American species of viola. The roots of several 

 European species, as the canina and odorata, pos- 

 sess similar properties, although in a less degree. 

 FRA>KENiACE.i5, Auguste de St Hillaire. The 

 frankeniacea; are herbaceous or frutescent. Their 

 lea vesare alternate or vcrticellate, entire or serrate, 

 with close lateral nerves, and furnished at their 

 base with two stipules, which are wanting 

 only in the genus frankcnia. The flowers are 

 axillar, disposed in simple or com]>ound racemes, 

 or in panicles. They are hermaphrodite : their 

 calyx is formed of five sepals, slightly united at 

 the base; the corolla of five equal or unequal 

 petals. In the genus saiivagesia, there is observed 

 moreover, a verticil of club-shaped filaments, 

 and an internal corolla, which also exists in the 

 genus luxcmburgia. The stamina are five, eight, 

 or indefinite in number; they are free, with two- 

 celled extrorsal anthers, opening by a longitu- 

 dinal slit or a pore. The ovary is elongated, 

 ovoidal, or trigonal, often placed upon a hypo- 

 gynous disk. It has a single cell, containing 

 three parietal trophosperms, each bearing a con- 

 siderable number of ovules. The style is slender 

 terminated by an extremely small stigma. Tha 

 fruit is a capsule, covered by the calyx, or by 

 the inner corolla, with a single cell, which opens 

 by three valves, the edges of which are slightly 

 inflected, and fonn three incomplete valves, bear- 

 ing the seeds, which, at the centre of a fleshy 

 endosperm, contain a small cylindrical, homo- 

 trope, axile embryo. 



This little family is composed of the genera 

 frankeiiia, lavradia, sanvagesia, and luxemburgia. 

 Sauvagesia erecta is mucilaginous and diuretic. 

 The properties of this family, however, are little 

 known ; and they have not much external 

 beauty. 



Caryophylle^,, Jussieu. The Caryophyllcie 

 are herbaceous, rarely suffrutescent at their base. 

 Tlu'ir stems are often knotty and articulated. 

 Their leaves sini])le, opposite, or verticillate. 

 Their flowers, which are generally hermaphro- 

 dite, are terminal or axillar. Their calyx is 

 composed of four or five sepals, which are dis- 

 tinct or united together, and form a cylindrical 

 or vesicular tube, merely toothed at its summit. 

 The corolla, which is of five petals, commonly 

 un;;uiculate at their base, is very rarely wanting. 

 The number of stamina is generally equal to, 

 or double, that of the petals. In the latter case, 

 five are alternate with the petals, and five are 

 opposite to them, and are united beneath with 

 tlie claws. They are all inserted upon a liy])n- 

 gynons disk, which supports the ovary. Tlie 



