g4 IX. CAPPARIDE^. 



base or the summit of the torus or stalk of the Ovary, definite or indefinite, all 

 perfect or some reduced to staminodia. Ovary 1-celled, with. 1 or usually 

 several parietal placentas, which sometimes . protrude so as to divide the ovary 

 into imperfect cells. Stigma sessile or borne on a distinct style. Ovules usually 

 numerous, rarely solitary, anatropous. Fruit either a capsule, with the valves 

 separating from the persistent septum or placentas as in Cruciferm, or mdehiscent 

 and succulent, or rarely dry. Seeds reniform or angular, without or with only 

 a very thin albumen. Embryo curved, the cotyledons incumbent, folded, or 

 convolute, very rarely flat.— Herbs or shrubs, rarely trees. Leaves alternate, or 

 very rarely opposite, simple, or consisting of 1 to 6 digitate leaflets, with or 

 without stipules, which when present are occasionally prickly. Flowers either 

 solitary or clustered in the axis of the leaves, or more frequently in terminal 

 racemes. 



The Order is pretty generally distributed over the warmer and tropical regions of both the 

 New and the Old World. Of the following genera two oiily, of one species each and both 

 anomalous in the Order, are peculiar to Australia (one met with in Queensland, the other in 

 West Australia). The other three are widely-spread tropical genera. — Benth. 



Tribe I. Cleomeae. — Herbs with a capsular fruit. 

 Torus short, the stamens inserted immediately within the sepals and petals. 

 Seeds several. 



Stamens 4 to 6, or rarely 8 1. Cleome. 



Stamens 8 to 16 2. Polanisu. 



Torus elongated, bearing. the stamens at the top under the ovary. 



Stamens all perfect, with long filaments. Leaves alternate, with digitate 

 leaflets. Sepals 4. Seeds several 3. Gynandropsis. 



Tribe II. Cappareae. — Shrubs or trees, with an indehiscent succulent fruit. 



Ovules and seeds many. Torus short without any basal appendage .... 4. Cappakis, ; 

 Ovules and seeds usually solitary. Leaves minute or none. Flowers diceoious. 

 Sepals imbricate. Torus small. Filaments long .5. ApopHYLLtrir. 



1. CLEOME, Linn. 



(Name used by a Latin physician to designate a plant unknown to modern 



botanists.) 



Sepals 4, sometimes united in a 4-toothed calyx. Petals 4, nearly equal. 

 Stamens 6, rarely 4 or 8, all or some only perfect, inserted on the short torus 

 immediately within the petals. Ovary sessile or stalked, with many ovules, the 

 stigma sessile or on a short subulate style. Capsule usually elongated, sessile or 

 stipitate. Seeds many, reniform, usually rough or woolly. — Herbs, either 

 glabrous or glandular-pubescent. Leaves with 8 to 7 digitate leaflets, or in some 

 species not Australian simple. Flowers solitary or in terminal racemes. 



A large genus, chiefly abundant in the warm parts of America, and in the hot sandy districts 

 of N.E. Africa and S.W. Asia. 



Stemless, with radical leaves and 1-flowered scapes 1. C. oxalidea. 



Erect and leafy, with racemose flowers 2. C. tetrandra. 



Plant, toothed prickly 3. C. pungens. 



1. C. oxalidea (Oxalis-like), F. v. M. Fragm.. i. 69 ; Benth. Fl. Amtr. i. 90. 

 A little glabrous, glaucous, almost stemless annual. Leaves radical, consisting of 

 3 obovate or orbicular leaflets, 2 to 4 lines long, on a slender petiole longer than 

 themselves. Scapes filiform, 1-flowered, If to 2in. long. Sepals about 1 line 

 long. Petals of a pale pink, ovate, about 2 lines long. Stamens 6 to 8, with 

 linear-oblong anthsrs attached near the base. Capsule sessile, linear-oblong or 

 narrow-linear, f to lin. long. 



Hab.: Northern inland localities. 



