Ord. CISTACEjE. 



SufFrutices v. herbae, integrifolias : dicotyledoneae, hypo- 

 gynee, anisomerse, regulares, oligo-polyandras ; sepalis 3 in- 

 terioribus seu propriis sestivatione convolutis ; petalis ephe- 

 meris a?stivatione eodem calycis contrarie convolutis ; an- 

 theris iiitrorsis ; ovario uniloculari vel semi-3 - 10-loculari 

 monostylo, placentis parietalibus ; ovulis orthotropis ; capsula 

 loculicida poly-oligosperma ; embryone excentrico intra albu- 

 men varie curvato seu convolute 



Cisti, Juss. Gen. p. 294. DC. Fl. Fr. 4. p. 811. 

 Cistoideje, Venten. Tabl. 3. p. 219. 

 Cistineje, DC. Prodr. 1. p. 263. -Endl. Gen. p. 903. 

 Cistacej:, Lindl. Introd. Nat. Syst. ed. 2. p. 91. Spach, in Ann Sci. 

 Nat. ser. 2. 6. p. 357. Ton-, it Gray, Fl. N. Am. 1. p. 150. 



The Rock-rose Family consists of low shrubby plants or herbs, often 

 with viscid branches, with entire leaves, which are either opposite or alter- 

 nate, even upon the same plant, with or without stipules, and with flowers 

 which expand in the sunshine for a single day only, and then (except in 

 Lechea) cast their delicate petals. It is distinguished from all the other hy- 

 pogynous orders with parietal placentation by its orthotropous ovules (except 

 in Fumana) and anisomerous, usually polyandrous flowers. The calyx, 

 which is wholly persistent, should probably be regarded as trimerous rather 

 than pentamerous ; for the two smaller sepals, so called, are entirely exte- 

 rior in the bud, like a pair of bractlets, and not involved in the convolute 

 aestivation of the three inner, or proper sepals. When the petals are only 

 three, they alternate with these last ; but when five, they exhibit no man- 

 ifestly regular order as respects the calyx. They are convolute in aestiva- 

 tion, but turned in the contrary direction from the sepals ; and in the proper 

 Rock-roses the petals are more or less crumpled, as in the Poppy. The 

 stamens are either indefinite, or, when few, very inconstant in number ; and 

 the filaments are never united or collected in clusters as in Hypericaceae. 

 The styles, if any, are perfectly consolidated into one. The placentae, 

 three, five, or rarely ten in number, are either strictly parietal or born>' on 

 partial dissepiments which project into the cell ; and the dehiscence of the 

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