

.^ 



Ord. CARYOPHYLLACE.E. 



Herbae blandse, foliis oppositis integerrimis : dicotyledoneae, 

 plerumque dichlamydese, symmetricas, pentameras v. tetra- 

 merae j calyce persistente aestivatione imbricato ; staminibus 

 sepalis numero asqualibus (vel abortu paucioribus) et ante- 

 positisj sen duplis ; ovario libero 1 - 5-lociilari ; ovulis am- 

 phitropis vel campylotropis e placenta centrali ; embryone 

 peripherico albumini farinaceo adplicito idemque saepius 

 plus minusve cingente. 



Caryophylle^, Juss. Gen. p. 299 (excl. gen.), Fenzl in Endl. Gen. 

 CARYOPHYLLEa: & Paronychie^e, DC. Prodr. 1. p. 351, & 3. p. 365. 

 SiLENE^E, Alsine^s:, Paronychie^, «& Scleranthes:, Bartl. Beitr. 2. 



p. 153, & Ord. Nat. p. 305. 

 Caryophyllace^s, Illecebrace.s:, & ScLERANXHACEiE, Lindl. Veg. 



Kingd. p. 496, 526. 



The Pink or Chickweed Family is well marked among the Polypetalag 

 by the opposite and entire dotless leaves, more or less connate or connected 

 by a transverse line across the usually tumid nodes ; the centrifugal inflores- 

 cence ; the symmetrical pentamerous or occasionally tetramerous flowers, 

 with an herbaceous and persistent calyx ; and the capsular fruit. Taken in 

 the most extended view, it is absolutely distinguished from every other order 

 with petaliferous flowers, excepting Portulacacese, by having the slender 

 embryo applied to the outside of the farinaceous albumen, and more or less 

 curved or completely coiled around it. There is, however, a series of grad- 

 ually reduced forms, either with or without scarious stipules, many of them 

 apetalous and with a one-seeded utricular fruit, which are scarcely sepa- 

 rable from Amaranthaceae and Chenopodiaceas by any single absolute char- 

 acter. 



According to Fenzl, who has investigated this order with great care and 

 ability, the position of the stamens furnishes the essential distinction between 

 Caryophyllaceae and Portulacaceee ; these organs, when only a single series 

 is present, being inserted opposite the sepals in the former, and opposite the 

 petals (alternate with the sepals) in the latter family. He accordingly refers 



