THALAMIFLOR^ 



179 



copoeia as a febrifuge. The structure of its stem is 

 very characteristic, the ducts in a transverse section 

 being visible with the naked eye. 



Nat. Order 6. BerberidacecB. — Spinous shrubs or 

 herbs with compound leaves, bisexual flowers, sepals 

 and petals each in 2 or more whorls of 2, 3, or 4 each, 

 and anthers with valvular dehiscence. The common 

 Barberry plant of England 

 is the well-known host of 

 the heteromorphous Wheat- 

 rust Fungus. The Order is 

 of little importance in this 

 country. 



Nat. Order 7. Papaver- 

 acecB. — Herbs with milky 

 or coloured juice. Leaves 

 lobed, radical or cauline, 

 alternate, stipules o. Pe- 

 duncles mostly I -flowered. 

 Flowers regular, often 

 showy. Sepals 2, imbri- 

 cate, caducous. Petals 4, 

 in 2 whorls, crumpled. 

 Stamens many, free, anthers 



basifixed. Cappels 2 or more, connate, in a i-celled 

 ovary, with parietal placentas, often chambered, style 

 o; stigma capitate; ovules many, anatropous. Fruit 

 a capsule dehiscing by pores (see fig. 142) or by 

 teeth ; seeds many, albumen oily. 



The Order is chiefly natives of the North Temperate 

 Zone. Two common plants are posta, afing or Poppy 

 (fig. 1 50) (Papaver somniferurii) and shial-kanta {A r- 

 gemone mexicana) (fig. 63). The trimerous perianth 

 of the last plant is rather unusual in this order. The 

 Poppy has been cultivated in India from very early 



Fig. 149. — Golancha ( 7V"»os/ott2 

 cordifolia) 



