NOPALEjE. 



641 



five : iillcea, hidiardia, crasmla, cotyledon, hyo- 

 phyllum, sedwn, and sempermmim. 



The flowers are beautiful and ornamental; but 

 otherwise these plants are not distinguished by 

 any remarkable properties. They are insipid, 

 or slightly acid, sometimes acrid. 



NoPAiE^, Ventenat. Cactus, Jussieu. This 

 family is composed exclusively of the genus 

 cactus of Linna3us,and the divisions which have 

 been made in it. They are perennial, often 

 arborescent plants, of a very peculiar aspect, 

 different from that of any other plants, except- 

 ing some euphorUas. Their stems are either 

 cylindrical, branched, channelled, angular, or 

 composed of articulated pieces, which have been 

 considered as leaves. The leaves are almost 

 always wanting, and are substituted by spines 

 collected into fasciculi. The flowers, which are 

 sometimes very large, and brilliantly coloured, 

 are generally solitary, and placed 'in the axilla 

 of one of the bundles of spines. The calyx is 

 monosepalous, adherent to the inferior ovary, 

 sometimes scaly externally, terminated at its 

 summit by a limb composed of a great number 

 of unequal lobes, which are confounded with 

 the petals. The petals are generally yery num- 

 erous, and disposed in several series. The 

 stamina, which are also very numerous, have 

 their filaments slender and capillar. The ovary 

 is inferior, with a single cell, containing a great 

 number of ovules, attached to parietal tropho- 

 sperms, the number of which is very variable, 

 and commonly in relation to that of the stigmas. 

 The style is simple, terminated by three or a 

 greater number of rayed stigmas. The fi-uit is 

 fleshy, umbilicate at its summit. Its seeds have 

 a double integument, and contain a straight or 

 curved embryo, destitute of endosperm. 



They are natives of dry tropical climates. The 

 fruits are generally mucilaginous and insipid, 

 though some of them are eaten. 



RiBESi^, Rich. Grossularias, Decandolle. 

 Biisliy, sometimes spinous shrubs, having altei-- 

 nate leaves, without stipules. The flowers are 

 axillai-, solitary, geminate, or disposed in spikes 

 or simple racemes. The calyx is monosepa- 

 lous, tubular inferiorly where it adheres to the 

 Ovary, - having its limb bell-shaped, with five 

 spreading or reflected divisions. The corolla is 

 formed of five petals, which are sometimes very 

 small. : The stariiina, which are of the same 

 number as the petals, and alternate with them, 

 are inserted about the middle of the limb of the 

 calyx. The ovary is inferior, with a single cell, 

 containing a great number of ovules, attached 

 in several scries to two parietal trophosperms. 

 The two styles are more or less united together, 

 and terminate each in a simple stigma. The fruit 

 is a globular, umbilicate, polyspermous berry, 

 and its seeds are composed of a thick embryo, 

 immediately covered by the proper integument. 



Tliis family is allied to the nopalea?, from 

 which it diff^ers, especially in the very different 

 habit of the plants of which it is composed, in 

 the circumstance of the petals and stamina being 

 always five, and not in indeterminate number, 

 as in the cacti, in their two trophosperms and 

 their two styles. Richard proposed dividing 

 the numerous species of this genus into three 

 sections or sub-genera, of which the types are 

 ribes, uvct-crispa, ribes, nigrum and ribes ruhrum. 

 He names the first grossularia, the second ribes, 

 the third botryocarpum. 



The numerous varieties of gooseberi'ies and 

 currants belong to this family, of which the 

 fruits are generally eatable, although some are 

 insipid, and others extremely acid. 



CucuEBiTACE^, Jussieu. Large herbaceous 

 plants, often twining, covered with short and 

 very stiff hairs. Their leaves are alternate, peti- 

 olate, more or less lobed. Their tendrils, which 

 are simple or branched, arise beside the petioles. 

 The flowers are generally unisexual and monoe- 

 cious, very rarely hermaphrodite. The calyx is 

 monosepalous : in the female flowers it presents' 

 a globular tube adherent to the inferior ovary. 

 Its limb, which is more or less campannlate and 

 five-lobed, is confounded and intimately united 

 with the corolla, having only the tips of its lobes 

 distinct. Tlie corolla is formed of five petals, 

 united together by means of the limb of the 

 calyx, and thus representing a ijionopetalous 

 corolla. The stamina, five in number, have 

 their filaments monadelphous or united into 

 three fasciculi, two formed each of two stamina, 

 and the third of a single stamen. The anthers 

 are unilocular, linear, bent upon themselves, in 

 the form of the letter S placed horizontally, and 

 with its branches very close. In the female 

 flowers, the summit of the ovary, which is 

 inferior, is crowned by an epigynous disk. The 

 style is thick, short, terminated hy three thick 

 and often two-lobed stigmas. The ovary is one- 

 celled in two genera, (sicyos and gronovia). It 

 contains a single pendent ovule; but, in general, 

 it presents three triangular, very thick parietal 

 trophosperms, in contact with each other at their 

 sides, and thus filling the whole cavity of the 

 ovary, and giving attachment to the ovules at 

 their point of origin upon the walls of the ovary. 

 The fruit is fleshy, umbilicate at its summit : it 

 is a peponida. The seeds, when the frait is ripe, 

 seem scattered in the midst of a filamentous or 

 fleshy cellular tissue. The proper integument 

 is rather thick, and immediately covers a thick 

 homotrope embryo, destitute of endosperm. 



The principal genera of this family are: 

 cucumis, cucwrbita, pepo, echallium, momordica, 

 bryonia, gronovia, &c., containing the melon, 

 cucumber, pumpkin, and various gourds, which 

 are articles of food. Colocynth, a strong pur- 

 gative, is. prepared from the pulp of cucumis 

 4 M 



