80 NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



is dry, nearly glnbular, indehiscent, bristling outwardly with stiff 

 prickles, armed at the summit with reflexed points, which gives 

 them the appearance of little harpoons. The single seed contains 

 under its coats a large fleshy embryo whose plauo-convex cotyledons 

 are prolonged at the base round the superior radicle, which they 

 incompletely surround as with a case. Kramcriu consists of suffru- 

 tescent plants from the tropical regions of the two Americas. 

 The broad thick-set woody root, often rich in colouring matter, is 

 surmounted by a small much ramified stem, and the branches bear 

 alternate leaves covered with a whitish down. They are exstipiilate 

 and generally simple and entire. In a Mexican species, K. cijti- 

 soideft,^ tliey are however partly compound with three folioles 

 articulate at the base. The flowers are solitary, generally supported 

 by a peduncle more or less long, bearing at a variable height, 

 sometimes close to the calyx, two sterile lateral bractlets. Some twenty- 

 five species ^ belonging to this genus have been described ; but it 

 seems to us the number oiight to be reduced one-half. 



The Polijgalacece family is very natural except one or two genera. 

 It was established in 1815 by A. L. de Jussieu.^ Until then the 

 Polygalew had been placed by him among the Pediculairecv^^ while 

 Adanson, recognising much better theii- true affinities, had joined 

 them to the family Tiiliymalece? JussiEu knew six of the 

 genera which we have preserved as distinct, and he joined to them 

 Tetrathcca. De Candolle "^ in 1 824 admitted the family such 

 as De Jussieu had made it, adding to it Securidaca^ with Sou- 

 lamea which belongs to Rutaccce-Qiiasdce? From 1828 to 1830, A. 

 S.-HiLAiRE and MoauiN, in their Memoires surla Familledes Polygalem^ 

 added to the preceding types the Mundtia of Kunth,^ studying in 



1 Cav. Ic. Bar. iv. 60, l. 390.— DC. rrodr. n. ;. 76 ; iv. 240 ; vii. 255. 



7.— H. Bn. in Arlansonia, xi. 16. 3 In Mtm. Miis. i. 385 {Poh/ijalcii;). 



^ R. et Pav. Prodi: t. 3 ; Fl. rer. i. t. 93, 94. •! Geii. (1789), 99, 



—Hook, ct Arn. J]cee!i. Voi/. Sot. 8, t. 6.— A. s Fam. dcs PI. ii. (1703), 358. 



S. H. Fl. Bras. Mer. ii. 72, t, 97.— GmsEii. ¥1. « Frodr. i. 321, Ord. 18. 



Brit. W. Lid. 30.— CiiAPM. Fl. S. Unit. St. 86. 7 Voy. vol. iv. 413, 601. 



— ToRR. in Eiiwr. Sep. Bot. t. 13.— C. Gay, Fl. ' In Mem. Mits. xvii. 315 : xix. 305. 



Chil. i. 342.— Til. et Pl. in Ann. Sc. Kut. ser. '-' Xov. (?;■«. ct Spec. i. (1815). 

 4, xvii. 144.— Walp. Rep. i. 247; v. 67; Ami. 



