4'62 THE CALLITRICHE FAMILY. 



OapsTjle sessile, ovoid, of a hard consistence, about 3 or 4 lines long, ending 

 in 3 stiif, short beaks. 



In hiUy, rooky, chiefly limestone districts, in western and southern 

 Europe, extending eastward to the Caucasus and northward into many parts 

 of central and western France. In Britain, only in some locahties in south- 

 ern England, and even there it is doubted whether it may not have been in- 

 troduced, as it has long been much planted in shrubberies. Fl. spring. 

 The Sox used for edging in gardens is a dwarf variety of the same species. 



LXVIII. THE EMPETRTIM FAMILY. EMPETEACE^. 



A family or genus of six or seven European or North Ame- 

 rican species, whose affinities have not been satisfactorily made 

 out. The structure and position of the seeds prevent its union 

 with the Spurge family, to which it might in other respects be 

 technically referred. 



I. CRO'WBERRV. EMPETEUM. 



Low, creeping, heath-like shrubs, with small, crowded, entire, evergreen 

 leaves, and minute, axillary, dioecious flowers. Perianth of 6 scales in 2 

 rows, with 6 external, similar, but smaller bracts. Stamens 3 in the male 

 flowers. Style in the females very short, divided into 6 or more radiating 

 and toothed or divided stigmas. Ovary with as many cells as stigmas, and 

 a single erect ovule in each. Fruit a small berry-like drupe, containing 

 several small 1-seeded stones. Embryo slender, in a copious albumen. 



1. Comoxon CroTirberry. Empetnim nigrum, Linn. 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 526.) 



A glabrous plant, forming spreading, thickly branched tufts, like those of 

 the trailing Loiseleiiria, often a foot in diameter ; the crowded evergreen 

 leaves scarcely 2 lines long, with their edges rolled back as in the Heaths. 

 Flowers sessile, very minute, the stamens of the males protruding from the 

 j)erianth on slender filaments. Fruit black, globular, about the size of a pea. 



In mountain heaths and bogs, in Europe, Asia, and North America, very 

 abundant at high northern and Arctic latitudes, and quite alpine in southern 

 Europe and central Asia. Common ia Scotland, in northern and western 

 England, and in Ireland, but now probably extinct in southern England. 

 Fl. spring. 



LXIX. CALLITRICHE FAMILY. CALLITEICHINE^. 



Aquatic, floating herbs, with opposite or whorled leaves, and 

 minute unisexual flowers in their axils. No perianth. Ovary 

 and fruit either 1-seeded or 4-lobed, with 1 seed in each lobe. 



Two genera, each of a single species, always placed next each other, though 

 not usually united into one family. Alhed in many respects to the aquatic 

 genera of the (Enothera family, they are sometimes placed next to them; but 



