FASCICLE 11. 



Oeder XVIIL CARYOPHYLLACE^. 



By B. L. Robinson. 



Herbs (rarely lignescent at the base) with bland watery juice, opposite entire 

 often slightly connate leaves and regular perfect or less frequently and through 

 abortion unisexual flowers. Stems with enlarged nodes. Sepals 4 to 5, in the 

 first tribe united into a cup or tube, in the others distinct. Petals as many (or 

 none), often emargiuate, toothed, or deeply bifid, in the first tribe unguiculate 

 and borne together with the stamens and ovary upon a somewhat elongated or 

 columnar torus, in the other tribes often somewhat perigynous. Stamens com- 

 monly twice as many as the petals, but often fewer and when of the same num 

 ber alternating with them ; filaments free or slightly cohering near the base ; 

 anthers iutrorse. Styles 2 to 5, free or in the last tribe united below; ovary 

 free, unicellular or imperfectly 2-5-celled at the base ; placentation axial ; ovules 

 amphitropous or campy lotropous, usually numerous. Fruit a capsule (in one 

 foreign genus baccate), opening by 2 to 5 entire or bifid valves; seeds many 

 or by abortion few, albuminous ; embryo straight or moderately curved. 



Tribe I. SILENEvE. Sepals united into a 4-5-toothed or -lobed tube or cup. 

 Petals unguiculate and often scale-bearing at the junction of the blade and claw, 

 borne, together with the stamens and ovary, upon a columnar prolongation of the 

 receptacle. Stipules none. Flowers usually showy, perfect, or not infrequently 

 polygamous. 



