CAPPARIDACE^E. (CAPER FAMILY.) 31 



1. C. maritima, Scop., var. 88qualis. Smooth; stem much branched, 

 prostrate ; leaves oblong, irregularly toothed or pinnatifid, narrowed intc ,a petiole 

 as long as the limb ; flowering racemes short and corymb-like, fruiting ones 

 elongated ; petals wedge-obovatc, emarginatc ; mature silicic linear, 8-ribbed, 

 the upper joint ovate-lanceolate, slightly compressed, beak-pointed, one third 

 longer than the cylindrical lower one ; cotyledons linear, 3-anglcd. (C. sequa- 

 lis, L'Her.) Drifting sands along the coast. May -August. Stems l-2 

 long. Flowers pale purple. 



ORDER 13. CAPPARIDACE^E. (CAPER FAMILY.) 



Herbs, shrubs, or trees, with acrid watery juice, alternate, simple or 

 palmately-compound leaves, and regular hypogynous flowers. Stipules 

 spiny or wanting. Sepals 4, imbricated or valvate in the bud. Petals 

 4, mostly clawed. Stamens 6 or numerous. Ovary 1-celled : ovules am- 

 phitropous or campylotropous, attached to the two parietal placentas. 

 Fruit silique-like, and 2-valved or indehiscent. Seeds reniform, without 

 albumen. Embryo curved. 



Synopsis. 



* Calyx 4-sepalous. Herbs. 



1. POLANISIA. Stamens 8 - 32, free. Torus short. Style filiform. 



2. CLEOME. Stamens 6. free. Torus short. Stigma sessile. 



3. GYNANDROPSIS. Stamens G. Filaments partly united with the stipe of the ovary. 



* * Calyx 4-parted. Shrubs. 



4. CAPPARIS. Stamens numerous, free. Leaves entire. 



1. POLANISIA, Raf. 



Petals clawed. Stamens 8-32: filaments free, unequal, filiform. Torus 

 short, bearing a truncated or emarginate gland on the upper side. Ovary sessile 

 or short-stipitate. Style filiform. Capsule silique-like, many-seeded. Annual 

 clammy herbs, with palmately trifoliolate petioled leaves, and racemose flowers. 



1. P. tenuifolia, Torr. & Gray. Stem slender, erect, branching ; leaflets 

 filiform, longer than the petiole ; petals oval, entire, short-clawed, unequal ; sta- 

 mens 12-15; capsule linear, smooth, short-stipitate, pointed with the persistent 

 style ; seeds minute, circular. Georgia (Le Conte) and South Florida (Blodgett). 

 Stem l-2 high. Flowers white. 



2. CLEOME, L. 



Petals long-clawed, nearly equal, entire. Stamens 6. Filaments filiform, 

 elongated, 1-3 often shorter, rarely all abbreviated. Torus short, hemispherical. 

 Stigma sessile. Capsule silique-like, stipitate or almost sessile, many-seeded. 

 Herbs with palmately 3 -7-foliolate leaves, and bracted racemose flowers. Stip- 

 ules, when present, spiny. 



