PARONYCIIIK.'E. 



639 



l:ittcr lias from one to five cells, ov is luiilociilar. 

 The ovules, which are numerous, are attaelieJ 

 to a central trophosiierm. When it is niany- 

 celletl, they are attached to the inner angle of 

 each cell. The styles vary from two to five, 

 and terminate each in a subulate stigma. The 

 fruit is a capsule, very rarely a berry, having 

 from one to five polyspermous cells. The capsule 

 opens, either at its summit, by means of small 

 teeth which separate from each other, or by 

 complete valves. The seeds are sometimes flat 

 and membranous, sometimes rounded. The 

 embryo is curved, or as if rolled round the far- 

 inaceous endosperm. 



The genera of this family form two divisions: 



1. The DiANTHE^,whichhavea tubularmono- 

 se[)alous calyx, and petals with elongated claws. 

 Dianthii.1, silent!, lychnis, agrostemma, cucuhalus, 

 6ve. 



2. The Alsine.Tv, of which the calyx is spread- 

 ing, and the petals without claws. Arenaria, 

 alsiiie, spergula, cerastium, mollugo, &c. 



Many of the species are weeds ; the arenaria, 

 silene, and especially the carnations, are orna- 

 mental flowers. 



Paronychie.e, Auguste de St Ilillaire. Herba- 

 ceous or Buffrutescent plants, bearing opposite 

 leaves, often connate at their base, with or without 

 stipules, and small, axillar, or terminal flowers, 

 which are naked, or accompanied with scariose 

 bracteas. Their calyx, which is monosepalous, 

 often persistent, has five more or less deep divi- 

 Bions, and not unfrequently forms a tube at its 

 lower ])art, which is often thickened by aglandu- 

 lar prominence. The petals, five in number, 

 very small and squamiform, or even wanting, 

 are inserted at the upper part of the tube of the 

 calyx. The stamina, also five, but of which 

 some are occasionally abortive, are alternate with 

 the petals, and have their anthers introrse. The 

 ovary is free, with a single cell containing a 

 single ovule placed at the summit of a basal 

 ;iodosperm, sometimes very long, in which case 

 the ovule is reversed; at other times, several 

 ovules are attached to a very short central tro- 

 phosperm. The stigma is sometimes sessile and 

 simple, sometimes bifid, and supported upon a 

 rather short style. The fruit is a capsule, whicli 

 opens by valves or slits, or remains closed. The 

 seeds are composed of a proper integument, a 

 cylindrical embryo applied upon one of the 

 sides, or rolled around a farinaceous endosperm. 

 The radicle is always directed towards the 

 hilum. 



This fiimily, which was established by St 

 Ilillaii-e, is composed of genera taken from the 

 amaranthacese, portulacefG, and caryophylle;e, 

 from which they differ, especially in having the 

 insertion perigynous, whereas it is hypogynous 

 in the other two. 



'J'hese plants are slightly astringent, but are 



not known to possess any remarkable proper- 

 ties. Some of the species are ornamental. 



PoKTUi.ACE^, Jussieu. 'I'hese are herbaceous, 

 rarely frutescent plants, with opposite, sometimes 

 alternate, thick, and fleshy leaves, destitute of 

 stipules. The flowers are generally terminal. 

 Their calyx is commonly formed of two sepals, 

 more or less connected, and often tubulate at 

 the base. The corolla is composed of five petals, 

 which are free, or slightly connected, so as to 

 form a monopetalous corolla. The stamina are 

 of the same number as the petals, inserted at 

 their base, and opposite to them : more rarely' 

 they are more numerous. The ovary is free, or 

 almost semi-inferior, with a single cell contain- 

 ing a variable number of ovules, arising imme- 

 diately from the bottom of the cell, or attached 

 to a central trophosperm. The style is simple, 

 terminated by three or five filiform stigmas. 

 The fruit is a unilocular capsule, containing 

 three or more seeds, and opening either by three 

 valves, or by two superimposed valves. The 

 frequently crustaceous proper integument of tlie 

 seed, covers a cylindrical embryo, which is 

 wrapped over a farinaceous endosperm. 



The principal genera are portulaca, talinum, 

 montia, &c. They are all insignificant weeds. 



FicoiDE^:, Jussieu. The ficoidese are gener- 

 ally succulent plants, like the crassulacea;, with 

 alternate or opposite leaves, and axillar or ter- 

 minal, often very large flowers; The calyx is 

 monosepalous, often campanulate and persistent, 

 its limb sometimes coloured, and four or five 

 lobed. Corolla polypetalous, the petals some- 

 times indeterminate in number, sometimes united 

 into a monopetalous corolla : more rarely the 

 corolla is wanting. The stamina are gener- 

 ally pretty numerous, free and distinct. The 

 ovary is sometimes entirely free, sometimes 

 adherent at its base to the calyx : it has from 

 three to five cells, each containing several ovules 

 attached to a trophosperm, which springs from 

 the inner angle of each cell. It is surmounted 

 by from three to five styles, each terminated by 

 a simple stigma. The i'ruit is sometimes a berry, 

 sometimes a capsule surrounded by the calyx, 

 with from three to five pol3'spermous cells. 

 The seeds have an embryo rolled around a farin- 

 aceous endosperm. 



The principal genera of the family of ficoideas 

 are : reatimwia, mesembryanthemum, nitraria, 

 tetragonia. 



They are chiefly Cape plants, growing in arid 

 situations, and form beautiful stove exotics. 



Saxifrage^e, Jussieu. The saxifrageaj are 

 herbaceous plants, rarely shrubs or trees, of 

 which the leaves are alternate or opposite, sim- 

 ple, and sometimes compound, with or without 

 stipules. 'i'he flowers, which are sometimes 

 solitary, sometimes variously grouped into spikes, 

 racemes, &c., have a monosepalous calyx, tubu- 



