138 ENGLISH BOTANY. 



Plant growing in tufts, with very numerous radical leaves and 

 several ascending flowering stems 4 to 12 inciies higli ; these 

 flowering stems have a pair of opposite connate leaves at the 

 apex, sometimes more or less distinct, sometimes completely 

 united. The flowers are at first almost sessile within this pair 

 of leaves, hut the axis of the raceme lengthens until it reaches to 

 1 or 2 inches above it. Pedicels about twice as long as the 

 calyx. Sepals roundish-ovate. Petals a little longer than the 

 scjjals, wliite, not above ^ inch across. Capsule shorter than the 

 sepals, sub-globular, with the valves rolling inwards after flower- 

 ing. Seeds generally 1 in capsule, oval-roundish, black, shining, 

 very slightly rugose. Plant bright greeu, brittle and succulent, 

 quite glabrous. 



Perfoliate Claytonia. 



OEDER XIV.— TAMARICACE^. 



Shrubs or under-shrubs, rarely small trees or tough-stemmed 

 herbs. Leaves alternate, small, often scale-like. Stipules none. 

 Flowers usually white or rose-colour, regular, and generally per- 

 fect, and disposed in small deciduous terminal spikes or racemes, 

 but sometimes solitary or disposed in compact panicles Sepals 5 

 (rarely 4), free or united at the base, conspicuously imbricated. 

 Petals as many as the sejoals, imbricated, fi'ee or imited into a tube 

 at the base. Disk hypogynous or slightly perigynous, crenated 

 or angulated. Stamens 5 or indefinite, inserted in the disk, free 

 or united at the base. Ovary free, 1-cclled, with 3 to 5 distinct 

 placentae. Styles as many as the placentae, sometimes united or 

 absent. Stigmas at the apex of the style or sessile. Ovules 2 

 or numerous on each placenta, anatropous. Capsule leathery, 

 splitting into as many valves as there are styles. Seeds generally 

 terminating in a tuft of hair or plumose beak, more rarely without 

 a beak, and covered with long hairs, or having a memhranous 

 wing. Albvunen farinaceous or somewhat fleshy, but most gene- 

 rally absent. Embryo straight, with the radicle near the hilum. 



GENUS I.—T A M A R I X. Linn. 



Sepals 4 or 5 (rarely 6), free. Petals inserted beneath a 

 creuate or lobed disk, free or sliuhtlv united at the base. Stamens 



