GERANIACEjE. 



629 



iiate leaves, destitute of stipules. Flowers soli- 

 tary, fasciculate, or disposed in terminal clusters, 

 Their calyx is monosepalous, with five deep 

 divisions. The corolla is composed of five equal 

 petals, united at the base, so as to form a regular 

 monopetalous corolla, which is tubular, or spread 

 out in a rosaceous manner. The five stamina are 

 erect, hypogynous, as is the corolla. The ovary 

 is free, supported upon a kind of hypogynous 

 disk. It has one or two cells, sepai-ated by 

 incomplete dissepiments, which frequently do 

 not join at the centre of the ovary, rendering 

 that organ unilocular. The ovules are numer- 

 ous, attached in two longitudinal and distinct 

 series towards the middle of the dissepiment. 

 The style is sometimes very short, terminated 

 by a small two-lobed stigma. The fruit is a 

 capsule, with one or two polyspermous cells, 

 opening by two valves, or a fleshy indehiscent 

 fruit. The seeds are composed of a somewhat 

 crustaceous proper integ-ument, a white and 

 fleshy endosperm, and an extremely small em- 

 bryo, situated towards the hilum, and having 

 its radicle turned towards it. 



The genera which compose this family, were 

 formerly placed among the rhamneiE; but their 

 hypogynous insertion removes them to a wide 

 distance. M. DecandoUe places the pittospores 

 between the polygaleae and the Frankeniacese. 

 The following are the principal genera of this 

 family : pittosporum, billardiera, Imrsaria, sena- 

 cia. They are handsome, and rather ornamental 

 shrubs, of tropical countries. 



Geeaniace^. Herbaceous or suflFrutescent 

 plants, with simple, or rarely compound, alter- 

 nate leaves, with or without stipules at their 

 base. The flowers are axillar or terminal. Their 

 calyx is formed of five sepals, often unequal, and 

 united together at their base, sometimes pro- 

 longed into a spur. The corolla is composed of 

 five equal or unequal petals, free or slightly 

 coherent, generally spirally twisted previous to 

 their expansion. The stamina are from five to 

 ten, rarely seven; they are free, or more fre- 

 quently monadelphous by the base of their fila- 

 ments, n heir anthers are two-celled. The car- 

 pels are from three to five, more or less intimately 

 united together. They have each a single cell, 

 containing one, two, or a gi-eater number of 

 ovules, attached at its inner angle. The styles, 

 which spring from the summit of each ovary, 

 remain distinct, or are united together, and are 

 each terminated by a simple stigma. The fruit 

 is composed of from three to five eocca, contain- 

 ing one or two seeds, remaining indehiscent, or 

 opening by their inner side; or it is a capsule, 

 with five polyspermous cells, opening with five 

 valves, sometimes elastically. The seeds, of 

 which the projjer integument is sometimes ex- 

 ternally fleshy or crustaceous, is composed of a 

 straight or more or less curved embryo, imme- 



diately covered by the proper integument, or 

 placed in a fleshy endosperm. 

 The family is thus divided. 



1. OxALiDE^; leaves usually compound, with- 

 out stipules; flowers axillar, capsule with five 

 polyspermous cells, styles distinct, embryo 

 straight, in a fleshy endosperm, as oxalis. 



2. Tkop^oleje; leavessimple, withoutstipules; 

 flowers axillar, three indehiscent, monospermous 

 coeca; embryo destitute of endosperm. Tropm- 

 olum. 



3. BalsaminEjE; leaves simple, withoutstipules; 

 flowers irregular; no style; capsule with five 

 polyspermous cells, opening elastically; embryo 

 without endosperm. Balsamina. 



4. LiNACEiE; leaves simple, without stipules; 

 flowers terminal, regular; three or five distinct 

 styles; capsule with five two-seeded cells; endo- 

 sperm thin. Linum. 



5. Geeaniace^; leaves simple, furnished with 

 stipules; flowers opposite to the leaves; styles 

 united; cocca indehiscent; embryo generally 

 without endosperm. Geranium erodium, pelar- 

 gonium, monsonia. 



Some botanists constitute each of these divi- 

 sions a distinct natural family. 



The pelargoniums or geraniums, are highly 

 esteemed as ornamental flowers. 



The leaves and stems of the oxalidese are 

 usually acid. The troposeoleae are acrid, and 

 po'ssess the properties of tlie cruciferfe. Linum 

 catharticum is purgative. The seeds of linum 

 usitatissimum axe mucilaginous, oleaginous, and 

 emollient. The fibrous bark forms linen. 



Malvace^, Kunth. Part of the mahacece cf 

 Jussieu. This family contains herbaceous plants, 

 shrubs, and even trees, with alternate, simple, or 

 lobed leaves, furnished with two stipules at their 

 base. The flowers are axillar, solitary, or vari- 

 ously grouped, and forming a kind of spikes. 

 1 he calyx is often accompanied externally with 

 another, formed of leaflets, varying in number, 

 and variously united. It is monosepalous, with 

 three or five divisions, placed close together in 

 the form of valves, previous to expansion. The 

 corolla is generally comjiosed of five petals, 

 alternate with the lobes of the calyx, spirally 

 twisted at first, often united together at their 

 base, by means of the filaments of the stamina, 

 so that the corolla falls off entire. The stamina 

 are generally very numerous, rarely of the same 

 number as the petals, or double their number. 

 Their filaments are united, and form a tube, and 

 their anthers are reniform and always unilocular. 

 The pistil is composed of several carpels, which 

 are sometimes verticillate around a central axis, 

 and more or less united together, sometimes col- 

 lected into a kind of capitulum. These carpels 

 are unilocular, containing one, two, or a greater 

 number of ovules attached at their inner angle. 

 The styles are distinct, or more or less united, 



