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HISTORY OF THE VEGETABLE KINGnOM. 



lar beneath, where it is united to the ovary, and 

 terminated above by three or five divisions. 

 The corolla, which is very rarely wanting, is 

 formed of four or five petals, sometimes united 

 at their base. The stamina are generally double 

 the number of the petals, sometimes indetermi- 

 nate. The ovary has two, more rarely four or 

 five cells. It is sonietlmes entirely free, some- 

 times semi-inferior or almost inferior, terminated 

 at its summit by as many styles as there are 

 cells. Tlie cells usually contain several ovules, 

 very rarely only one. The ovules are attached 

 to a trophosperm placed along the dissepiment. 

 The fruit, which is rarely fleshy, is generally a 

 capsule, terminated above by two more or less 

 elongated horns, and usually opening by two 

 septiferous valves. The seeds have beneath 

 their proper integument a fleshy endosperm, 

 which contains an axile, homotrope embryo, 

 sometimes a little bent. 



This family, with the ciinoniacetB of Brown, 

 contains saxifraga, heuchera, tiarella, cunonia, 

 weinnmannia, &c. 



The saxifragese are neat and pretty ornamental 

 flowers ; they are more or less astringent, but are 

 not in general known to possess any remarkable 

 properties. The roots of saxifraga granulata 

 have been employed as a diuretic. That of 

 heuchera americana, and the bark of the weinn- 

 mannise, are powerfully astringent. 



HAMAMELiDEiE, Brown. Slirubs with alter- 

 nate, simple leaves, often fiirnished with two 

 caducous stipules. The flowers are axillar, hav- 

 ing a calyx composed of four sepals, sometimes 

 united into a tube at their lower part, and 

 attached to the ovary, which is semi-inferior. 

 The corolla is composed of tour elongated, linear, 

 valvar petals, a little twisted previous to the 

 expansion of the flowers. The stamina are four, 

 alternate with the petals, having their anthers 

 introrse, and two- celled, opening by a valvule, 

 which is sometimes common to the two cells, 

 and which occupies their inner face. Before 

 each petal there is often a scale of diversified 

 form, which appears to be an abortive stamen. 

 The ovary is semi-inferior, or entirely' free, with 

 two cells, each containing a suspended ovule. 

 From the summit of the ovary spring two 

 styles, each terminated by a simple stigma. The 

 fruit, which is enveloped by the calyx, is dry, 

 with two monospermous cells, generally opening 

 with two septiferous valves. The seeds are 

 composed of a homotrope embryo, covered by a 

 fleshy endospei-m. 



They are hardy American shrubs, with no 

 marked properties. 



BKUNIACE2B, Brown. The plants which form 

 this family are shrubs, which in habit greatly 

 resemble the heaths and the phjlica; or Cape 

 heaths. They are all natives of the Cape of 

 Goi.ii Hope. Their leaves are very small, stiff. 



entire, sometimes imbricated. The flowers arc 

 small, disposed in capitula, more rarely in pani- 

 cles. The calyx is monosepalous, with five 

 divisions, generally adherent at its base to the 

 ovary, which is inferior or semi-inferior (free in 

 the genus raspalia alone) : the five divisions are 

 imbricated, as is the corolla, previous to expan- 

 sion. The petals are five, and alternate. The 

 five stamina alternate with the petals, and their 

 filaments adhere laterally to the base of each of 

 the petals, which has led some authors to con- 

 sider them as opposite to the petals. The ovary 

 is semi-inferior, or inferior, or free, with one or 

 three cells, containing each one or two collateral 

 suspended ovules. The style is simple or bifid, 

 or the two styles are distinct and terminated 

 each by a very small stigma. The fruit is dry, 

 crowned by the calyx, corolla, and stamina, 

 which are persistent. It is indehiscent, or sepa- 

 rates into two generally monospermous cocca, 

 opening by a longitudinal and internal slit. The 

 seeds are suspended, and contain a very small 

 homotrope embryo, placed near the base of a 

 fleshy endosperm. 



The genera are berselia, hrunia, raspalia, 

 staama, berardia, Unconia, aiidoninia, tittmannia, 

 and tamnea. The plants are ornamental but 

 possess no known properties of importance. 



Crassulace^, De Candolle. Sempermve<^, 

 Jussieu. This family is composed of herbaceous 

 plants or shrubs, the leaves, stem, and in gene- 

 ral all the herbaceous parts of which are thick 

 and fleshy. The leaves are alternate or opposite. 

 The flowers, which are sometimes very finely 

 coloured, present various modes of inflorescence. 

 Their calyx is deeply divided into a great num- 

 ber of segments. The corolla is conrposed of a 

 variable, sometimes ver_v great number of regu- 

 lar petals, which are distinct, or united into a 

 monopetalous corolla. The number of stamina 

 is the same as that of the petals, or of the lobes 

 of the monopetalous corolla, or more rarely 

 double their number. At the bottom of the 

 flower are always several distinct pistils, varying 

 from three to twelve, or even more. Each is 

 composed of a more or less elongated ovary, 

 having a single cell, containing several ovules 

 attached to a sutural and internal trophosperm. 

 The style and stigma are simple. The fruits 

 are unilocular, polyspermous capsules, open- 

 ing by their longitudinal and internal suture. 

 Their seeds have a more or less curved em- 

 bryo, in some degree enveloping a mealy endo- 

 sperai. 



This family, which is composed of succulent 



plants, is related to the ranunculaceae, by its 



polyspermous unilocular capsules opening by a 



I single longitudinal suture. But it approaches 



more to the saxifrageae and ficoides, from which 



j it differs especially in having distinct pistils at 



I the centre of the flower. 'J'he principal genera 



