508 



NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



an acliene ; within the seed-coats is a fleshy albumen surrounding 

 an embryo with rounded cotyledons, more or less cordate at the 

 base, as long as the superior conical radicle or longer. ForsJwJdea 

 comprises herbs or undershrubs, from the Mediterranean, North and 

 South Africa, and West Asia. Their leaves are alternate, accom- 

 panied by lateral stipules, and covered with hooked hairs; the 

 flowers are surrounded by a little axillary common involucre, formed 

 of from two to six foliaceous bracts, free, but covered inside with a 

 quantity of wool that often holds them together ; they contain one 

 or more female flowers, usually surrounded by a certain number of 

 males (figs. 547, 548). Five species of this genus have been 

 described. 1 



Of Droguetia? only distinguishable with difficulty from Forskohlea 

 by a gamophyllous perianth, we make a mere section, comprising 

 four species, Asiatic and African. 3 



In the little group Aiistralinea the involucre disappears. The 

 flowers are monandrous and of similar organization in Australina 

 and Didymodoxa, diandrous in Distemon. 



The Nettles, with some allies, entered into Linnaeus' Scabridece ; A 

 Adanson 5 placed them in his family Chdtaigniers (Chestnut-trees). 

 In the time of A. L. de Jussieu 6 the Urticece were held to comprise 

 not merely the Nettles and similar genera, but also Artocarpea, 

 Morece, Cannabinece, Piperaceae, and even CynocrambeaJ R. Brown, 8 

 in 1818, established Artocarpea, Celiidete, &c, as distinct orders, on 

 the one hand, and Urticea proper on the other. Endlicher 9 only 

 changed the name to Urticacece. Of the order thus restricted 



1 L. fil., Suppl., 245. — Rjetz., Obs., fasc. iii. 

 31.— Desf., Cat. Sort. Par., ed. 3, 347. — 

 Webb., Spicil. Gorgon., 179 ; Phyt. Canar., iii. 

 266. 



2 Gaudich., Toy. TJran., Pot., 505 ; Voy. 

 Bon., Bot., t. 87. — Endl., Gen., 285.— Wedd., 

 Monogr., 538, t. 19, A; Prodr., 235 ^.— Didy- 

 mogyne Wedd., in Ann. Sc. Nat., ser. 4, i. 35 

 (part.). 



3 Pees., JEncIiir., ii. 554 ( Urtica). — A. Rich., 

 Fl. Abyss. Tent., ii. 259 {Pouzolzia). — Wight, 

 Icon., t. 1982 (Forskohlea). — Bl., Mus. Lugd.- 

 Bat., ii. 201 {Boehniei-ia). 



4 Ord. Nat. (1737), 593. 



5 Fam. des PL, ii. (1763), 376. 



6 Gen. (1789), 400. 



7 He even included the Monimiads Ambora 

 and Sedy carta, mistaking their flower for an 

 inflorescence; the Haloragad Gunnera; and the 

 Paronchiad Pteranthus. 



8 Obs. PI. Cong., 35; Misc. Works (ed. Benn.), 

 i. 137. 



9 Prodr. Fl. Norfolk., 37 ; Gen., 282, ord. 94 

 (1836).— Lindl., Teg. Kingd., 260, ord. 84. 



