CHENOPODIACEiE — PHYTOLAGCACEiE — POLYGONACE^. 563 



The plant grows at a great elevation. Its leaves are used for spinage. 

 They contain much starch and oil, combined vidth a bitter substance 

 which appears to reside in the integuments. Ohenopodmm erosum is 

 Australian spinach. G. tommtosvm is the tea plant of Tristan d'Acunha 

 and Inaccessible Island. Many of the plants of the order grow in 

 salt marshes, and are called Halophytes {aks, salt, and (purov, a plant). 

 They yield a quantity of soda. Among them may be enumerated 

 species of Salicomia, Salsola, Halimocnemis, and Kodhia. Beet-root 

 yields a large quantity of sugar. Amhrina anthelmintica yields a vola- 

 tile oil, which is used in the cure of worms. Anabasis Amm.odendron, 

 Saxaul, is a peculiar leafless shrub of Khiva. Some of the Ohenopo- 

 diums have a very fetid odour. The genus A triplex has polygamous 

 flowers, and was placed by Linnseus in his class Polygamia. 



Order 140. — Phytolaccace^, the Phytolacca Family. (Apet. 

 Periffyn.) Perianth 4-5-partite. Stamens usually perigynous, inde- 

 finite, or equal to the segments of the perianth, and alternate with 

 them. Ovary of 1 or several carpels, distinct or combined ; ovule 1 

 in each carpel, ascending or erect ; styles equal to the carpels in number, 

 terminal or lateral ; stigmas simple or divided. Fruit fleshy and dry, 

 indehiscent, sometimes samaroid. Seeds solitary, erect or ascending ; 

 embryo straight or curved ; albumen mealy or ; radicle next the 

 hilum. — Undershrubs or herbs, with alternate, entire leaves, which are 

 often dotted. They are natives both of tropical and warm countries, 

 and are found in America, Asia, and Africa. The order has been 

 divided into two tribes : — 1. Phytolaccese, with ascending seeds, em- 

 bryo curv,ed round mealy albumen, and exstipulate leaves. 2. Peti- 

 verieae, with an erect seed, exalbuminous straight embryo, a,nd stipulate 

 leaves. There are 20 known genera, including about 8i species. Ex- 

 amples — Phytolacca, Eivina, Petiveria. 



There is frequently much acridity in the plants of this order, and 

 some of them act as irritant emetics and purgatives. The succulent 

 fruit of Phytolacca deeandra, common Poke, jdelds a red juice. It has 

 been used as a remedy in cases of chronic syphilitic pains, and it pos- 

 sesses also emetic and purgative qualities. The plant is said to yield 

 much potash. Petiveria alliacea is the Gruinea-hen-weed, so called on 

 account ofithese animals being fond of it. 



Order 141. — PolygonacEjB, the Buckwheat Family. {Apet. 

 Hypog. and Perigyn.) Perianth inferior (fig. 798 c c), divided, often 

 coloured ; sestivation imbricate (fig. 799). ' Stamens definite, inserted 

 into the bottom of the perianth (fig. 798, ee, ei) ; anthers with longi- 

 tudinal dehiscence. Ovary free (fig. 798 o), usually formed by 3 car- 

 pels, unilocular; ovule solitary, orthotropal (fig. 454, p. 254); styles 

 and stigmas equal to the carpels in number (fig. 798 s). Fruit a nut, 

 usually triangular, naked or covered by the persistent perianth (fig. 

 295, p. 196). Seed erect; albumen farinaceous; embryo antitropaJ, 



