124 



OEDEE CV. CEEATOPHTLLAOE^. OEDEE OXIV. SALICACE^. 



Oeder CV. — Oeratopliyllacese. 



Aquatic herbs. Leaves wliorled, diohotomously dissected, 

 ■with filiform segments. Flowers monoecious, axillary, sessile. 

 Stamens indefinite. Anthers sessile. Ovary 1-celled. Style 1, 

 filiform. Achenium beaked in fruit. Seed "with 4 cotyledons. 



A very small unimportant order, represented by the Ceratophyllum (Horn- 

 wort). 



Order OVI. — Oallitrichacese. 



Aquatic, annual herbs. Leaves opposite, entire. FloTvers 

 axillary, solitary, minute, perfect, or moucecious, entirely desti- 

 tute of proper floral envelopes, but usually furnished with a pair 

 of bracts. Stamens 1, rarely 2, with a slender filament and a 1- 

 celled, 2-valved reniform anther. Ovary 4-lobed, i-ceUed, 4- 

 ovnled. Styles 2. Fruit indehisoent, 4-seeded. 



Little plants floating in water, consisting 

 Callitriche ( Water Starwori^, 



chiefly of the various species of 



Order CVII. — Podostemaceae. 



Aquatic hei'hs, with the habit of Liverworts or Mosses. 

 Leaves capillary or linear, not articulated to the stem. Flowers 

 usually perfect, arising from a kind of spathe, usually destitute of 

 any other floral envelopes. Stamens often reduced to 1 or 2, and 

 monadelphous. Ovary free, 1 — 8-celled. Styles or stigmas 2, 

 distinct. Fruit a many-seeded, ribbed, 2 — 3-oelled' capsule. 



A very small aquatic order, of which Podostemum (^Thread-foot), is an 

 example. 



GEOUP V, 



Order CVIII. — EupliorMacese. 



Herbs, shrubs, or even trees, often with a milky juice. Leaves 

 opposite, alternate, or verticillate, usually simple, often stipulate. 

 Flowers monoecious or diosoious. Staminate and pistillate flowers 

 usually separate, but often combined and surrounded by a com- 

 mon, mostly petaloid involucre, the staminate being reduced to a 

 single stamen, and the pistillate to a compound pistil, destitute of 

 calyx, and supported on a conspicuous jointed pedicel. Calyx, 

 when present, several-lobed. Petals sometimes present, and as 

 many as the calyx-lobes. Stamens definite or indefinite, distinct 

 or monadelphous. Anthers 2-celled. Ovary free from the calyx, 

 when the latter is present, consisting of 2 — 9 more or less united 

 carpels, attached to a prolongation of the axis. Styles as many 

 as the carpels, distinct, often 2-cleft. Fruit a capsule separating 

 into its component carpels. 



A very large chiefly tropical and South American order, distinguished hy 

 the acrid and often powerfully poisonous properties of its milky juice. But the 

 starchy accumulations in the root of Jatropha, when freed by washing and heat 

 from the volatile principle, become the Tapioca of commerce. The seeds of 

 Eicinus yield the common purgative Castor-oil, while those of certain E. Indian 

 species of Croton furnish the powerful Croton-oll. Caoutchouc is obtained from 

 the Siphonia, a beautifnl tree of South America, and also some other trees be- 

 longing here. Euphorbia (Spurge), and Buxus (Jiax), are examples. 



Order CIX. — ^Empetraceae. 



Low, evergreen, heath-like shrubs. Leaves acerose, crowded. 

 Flowers small, dioecious or polygamous, axillary. Calyx of seve- 

 ral imbricated sepals; or its place is supplied by imbricated 

 bracts. Stamens few, definite. Ovary 3 — 9-celled, with 1 ovule 

 in a cell Styles short, or none. Stigmas more or less lobed, 

 often laciniate. Ovary drupaceous, inclosed in the persistent 

 calyx, containing 3 — 9 bony nutlets. 



A very small order, represented here by Empetrum (Orowierry), and 

 Corema. 



GROUP VI. 



Order CX. — Juglandacese. 



Trees. Leaves unequally pinnate. Stipules none. Flowers 

 greenish, monoecious. Sterile ones in aments. Calyx membranous, 

 irregular. Stamens indefinite. Fertile flowers usually in small 

 clusters. Calyx-tube adherent to the ovary; limb 3 — 5-parted. 

 Petals sometimes present, and as many as the calyx-segments. 

 Ovary 1-oelled, partially 2 — t-celled, 1-ovuled. Fruit drupace- 

 ous, the epicarp sometimes indehiscent, sometimes regularly de- 

 hiscent ; endocarp bony. Seeds single, oily, often edible. 



A small order, containing, however, many forest trees, valuable for their 

 timber, and often for their fruit. The Butternut and Black Walnut (Jugkms), 

 and the Hickory, Shag-bark, arid other species of Carya, are examples. 



Order CXI. — Cupioliferse. 



Trees, or shrubs. Leaves simple, alternate, with straight 

 veins and deciduous stipules. Flowers usually monoecious. Sterile 

 ones in aments. Calyx membranous and regular, or else scale- 

 like. Stamens 1 — 3 times as many as the calyx-lobes. Fertile 

 flowers separate, in clusters of 2 or 3 ; or else several together, 

 inclosed in a common involucre. Calyx-tube adherent to the 

 ovary ; limb minute or obsolete. Ovary 2 — 6-eelled, with 1 or 

 more ovules in a cell. Fruit a 1-celled, 1-seeded nut. 



An order consisting chiefly of noble forest-trees of the highest value for 

 timber, and sometimes also for their fruit. Such are the various species of Oak 

 {Qiierc%s\ the Beech (Fagiis), and the Chestnut (Oaeianea). The bark of the 

 various species of Oak possesses a great deal of Tannin, which makes it valu- 

 able for tanning leather. Galls are swellings on the leaf-stalks and twigs of Oak 

 trees; those ol^ commerce being yielded by the Quercus infectoria of Asia 

 Minor. The thick outer bark of Q. Suber of Spain is the substance known as 

 Cork. 



Order CXII. — Myricaceae. 



Shrubs. Leaves simple, aromatic, dotted with resinous glands 

 Flowers monoecious or dioecious. Sterile ones in aments, each Id 

 the axil of a bract. Stamens 2 — 6. Anthers 2^-4-celled, open 

 ing lengthwise. Fertile flowers in aments or globose clusters. 

 Ovary 1-celled, 1-ovuled, surrounded by several scales. Stigmas 

 2, subulate, or dilated and somewhat petaloid. Fruit a drupe- 

 like, 1-seeded nut. 



A small order, represented here chiefly by the Bayberry (Mi/rica), and the 

 Sweet Fern {Oomptonia). 



Order GXIII. — Betulaceas. 



Trees, or shrubs. Leaves simple, alternate, with deciduous 

 stipules. Flowers monoecious; both kinds in aments, usually 

 achlamydeous, axillary, by threes in a 3-lobed bract. Stamens 

 definite, distinct. Ovary 2-celled, 2-ovuled. Styles or stigmas 2. 

 Fruit 1-celled by abortion, 1-seeded, membranous, or deliiscent, 

 forming with the bracts a dense, sometimes cone-like, amenta 



A small order, of which the various species of Birch (BetuZa), and Alder 

 (Akius), arc the most common represenlatives. 



Order CXIV. — Salicacese. 



Trees, or shrubs, rarely somewhat herbaceous. Leaves alter- 

 nate, simple, with deciduous or persistent stipules. Flowers dioe- 

 cious; both kinds in aments, achlamydeous, in the axils of 1- 

 fiowered bracts. Stamens 2 — 2everal, distinct or monadelphous. 

 Ovary 1-celled, 2-valved. Seeds numerous, with a silky coma. 



The various species of Willow (Salix), and Poplar {Populus), constitute 

 this order. In fig. 33 is represented Sails eriocephala, one of the common spe- 

 cies, both as it appears when in blossom in the spring, and after the full expau 

 sion of the leaves. The bark is bitter and tonic, and is sometimes employed as 

 a febrifuge. The slender flexible shoots of the Willows are used In wicker 

 work. 



