518 NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 
123. Chitonia Moc. & Suss.'—Flowers 4-merous ; sepals unequal, 
imbricated, deciduous. Petals alternate large, shortly obovate, 
imbricated. Stamens 8, 2-seriate, shorter than petals; filaments 
naked; anther sericeo-barbate introrse, 2-rimose. Germen 4-agonal, 
tapering above in subulate style, stigmatiferous widely 4-lobed at 
apex; cells 4, opposite petals; ovules in each 2, descending. 
Capsule widely 4-winged, septicidally 4-valved ; seeds in cells 1, 2; 
raphe crested ; albumen fleshy ; cotyledons of (green) embryo, oblong. 
— À sericeous shrub; branches alternate; inferior leaves alternate, 
superior opposite, imparipinnate; folioles 3-0, opposite entire; 
stipules subulate ; flowers® solitary or scantily cymose, pedunculate, 
lateral to leaves (AZevico’). 
XII. NITRARIEA. 
124. Nitraria L.—Flowers hermaphrodite; receptacle convex. 
Sepals 5, more or less high connate, rather fleshy, imbricated, per- 
sistent. Petals same in number, alternate, longer, cucullate indu- 
plicate valvate at apices. Stamens 5-15, inserted under very in- 
conspicuous disk ; filaments free, naked, anthers introrse, 2-rimose. 
Germen free, sessile, sericeous oblong-pyramidal, 2—6-locular, gra- 
dually attenuated into short style, stigmatiferous decurrent-2—6-lobed 
at apex ; ovules solitary in cells depending from elongated funicle 
descending ; micropyle extrorse superior. Drupe subbaccate ovate- 
acuminate ; mesocarp usually thin; putamen bony, exterior sulcate or 
scrobiculate, 6-valved at apex alternate shorter, dehiscent, 1-sper- 
mous. Seeds descending ; testa membranous ; epidermis dry ; embryo 
exalbuminous; cotyledons plano-convex ; radicle short superior.— 
Rigid spinose or unarmed shrubs, usually canescent ; leaves alternate 
or fasciculate, simple, obovate-cuneate entire or at apex 3-5-fid; 
stipules small lateral; flowers in more or less ramified scorpioid 
cymes, shortly pedicellate (West Asia, North Africa, and Coast of 
Australia). See p. 430. 

1 Ex DC., Prodr., i, 707.—Enpt,, Gen., n. 3 Spec. 1. C. mexicuna Mog. & SEss., loc- 
6032.—B. H., Gen., 268, n, 14. cit—Zvoo., Nov. Stirp. Fase., i. 355, t. 17.— 
? Large, rose-violet. Watp., Rep., i. 493. 
