128 



NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



two series whereof Platystemon and Fschscholtzia are the respective 

 types, comprising five genera and fifteen species, are confined to the 

 West of North America. Of the ten genera composing Papaverece 

 only four extend to America : Papaver, whereof most species are 

 confined to the Old World ; Aryemone, with all its species American ; 

 two species of Sfylophorum, and the single one of Chelidonimn, are 

 also represented there. In Fumariea, Fumaria and Corydalis are 

 divided between both Worlds, though very unequally, America pos- 

 sessing only one species out of six of the former genus, and four out 

 of upwards of sixty of the latter. Of the twelve species of Dicentra 

 half are found in each hemisphere. The monotypical genera 

 Adhimia and Tovaria are exclusively American, and Hypecoum, 

 Sarcocapnos, and Pteridophyllum are natives of the Old World only. 

 The last is limited to Japan. Adhimia and Sanyuinaria, both 

 monotypical, are confined to North America. The only known 

 Cathcartia is a Himalayan plant. European representatives occur 

 to the following genera : Papaver, Meconopsis, Glaucium, Rcemeria, 

 Chelidonium, Hypecoum, Corydalis, Sarcocapnos and Fumaria, including 

 more than one-third of the total number. 



Botanists of the present day are agreed in dividing Papaveracea 

 into four tribes or series : 



I. Platystemone.e. — Petals all similar, stamens free indefinite. 

 Stigmatiferous divisions of the style alternate with the placentas, 

 free, distinct, often diverging. Gynasceum showing externally a 



usually classed as an abnormal genus of Phyto- 

 laecacece, but Eichlee proposes to place it in 

 PapaveracecB, as linking this with the former 

 order. T. pendula, the only known species is a 

 native of Peru, Colombia, the Antilles, &c. On 

 its convex floral receptacle we find eight imbri- 

 cated caducous sepals ; eight alternating imbri- 

 cated sessile petals; from eight to twelve free 

 bypogynous stamens, with introrse two-celled 

 anthers of longitudinal dehiscence; a shortly stipi- 

 tate gynseceum, whose 6— 8-celled ovary is sur- 

 mounted by a short style, which rapidly dilates 

 into a head with from 6 to 8 thick stumpy rays, 

 stigmatiferous on the upper side. Each cell con- 

 tains in its ventral angle a thick placenta, whose 

 two lobes bear numerous anatropous ovules. The 



fruit is a globular berry, with a thin pericarp ; it 

 contains in its pulp an indefinite number of seeds, 

 inclosing a fleshy albumen and a bowed embryo. 

 T.pendula is an annual herb of very strong smell, 

 with an erect glabrous branching stem. Its leaves 

 are alternate exstipulate, trifoliolate, membranous. 

 Its flowers form slender drooping multifloral ter- 

 minal racemes. (R. & Pay., Prodr., 49, t. 8; 

 Fl. Per., iii. 73, t. 309.— Pat., in Act. Med. 

 Matrit., i. 192.— Do>', in Edinb. N. Phil. Journ., 

 vi. 50. — Ekdl., Gen., n. 5006. — Hook., Icon., 

 t. 664.— Geiseb., Fl. Brit. W. Ind., i. 17.— 

 Macf., Fl. Jam., 112 (Bancroftia). — Pl., in 

 Toy. Bind., 20. — Tbia>a & Pl., in Ann. Sc. 

 Nat., ser. 4, xvii. 88. — B. H., Gen., 110, 969, n. 

 23.— Eichl., in Mart. Fl. Bras., Cappar., 239.) 



