PHYT0LAC.CACEJ1. 



47 



Ledenbergias, Petiverias, and Seguierias, 1 representing at most a total 

 of twenty species. 2 Thelggonum is limited to the Mediterranean region; 

 Barbeuia to Madagascar ; Adenogramma to Southern Africa ; GisecJcia 

 and Limeum to Asia and to tropical Africa. Mohlana and the 

 Bivinas are common to the two Worlds, but abounding particularly in 

 the New. As to the Phytolaccas there is not a warm country of the 

 world where they are not represented from Mexico to Chili and from 

 China to Australia. But P. ootandra seems only to have been 

 introduced into this last country, as has also P. decandra into the 

 Mediterranean region ; this latter is considered a native of America. 



All the Pliytolaccacece have characters in common ; alternate, 

 simple leaves ; 3 uniovular carpels ; ascendant ovules, with inferior, 

 exterior micropyle ; a non-rectilinear embryo, fornicate, uncinate, 

 circinate, involute, or folded a variable number of times upon itself. 

 Other characters are found among them very generally, with a very 

 small number of exceptions. These are indefinite inflorescence, 4 the in- 

 dependence of the carpels, 5 the apetalous character of the flowers, 6 and 

 the presence of an albumen 7 within the embryo. Other more variable 

 characters are, the form of the receptacle 8 (and consequently the mode 

 of insertion), the number of the carpels, and the union or separation of 

 the sexes in the same flower. Upon them are founded the following 

 series, arranged by us, and easy to distinguish from each other : — 



I. Phytolacce^e. — Two or several carpels, quite free, or to a great 

 extent (at least at a certain age), inserted on a convex receptacle. 

 Stamens hypogynous. (5 genera.) 



1 Loueeieo (Fl. Cochineh., 341) has described, 

 it is true, a S. asiatica (Moq., Frodr., 7, n. 10) ; 

 but nothing is less certain than the genus of this 

 plant (see p. 38, note 2). 



2 Those of the genera Anisomeria and Feti- 

 veria seem to have been multiplied without 

 measure. 



3 In general they are fetid and become black 

 by desiccation. 



4 There are only cymes in G-isecJcia, Limeum, 

 Agdestis and Adenogramma. 



5 Which is only wanting in Agdestis and 

 Barbeuia. 



6 The organs described as petals in cer- 

 tain species of Limeum, may have quite another 

 signification. 



7 Even in Seguieria, whose embryo occupies 

 by its numerous folds almost all the interior of 

 the seed, there are often traces of a mucous al- 

 bumen between the folds. 



8 Convex in most of the genera, quite concave 

 in Agdestis, slightly hollow in most of the species 

 of the genera Seguieria and Feliveria which 

 show the commencement of a perigynous arrange- 

 ment. 



