566 BEGONIACE^ — lAVRAGEM. 



Order 142. — Bbgoniace^, the Begonia Family. (Apet. Diclin.) 

 Mowers unisexual. Perianth coloured, having usually 4 divisions in 

 the male flo-wers, and 5 or 8 in the female, some being smaller than 

 others ; aestivation imbricate. Stamens 00, distinct, or united into 

 a solid column ; anthers collected in a head, dithecal, with a thick 

 connective and longitudinal dehiscence. Ovary adherent to the tube 

 of the perianth, winged, 3-celled, with three placentas meeting in the 

 axis ; ovules 00, anatropal ; stigmas 3, sessile, 2-lobed, somewhat 

 spirally twisted. Fruit a membranous, triangular, winged capsule, 

 dehiscing below in a loculicidal manner. Seeds 00, minute ; testa thin 

 and reticulated ; albumen ; embryo oblong ; radicle next the hilum. 

 — Semi-succulent, herbaceous plants and undershrubs, with alternate 

 oblique leaves, having large scarious stipules. They are sometimes 

 called Elephant's-ear, from the form of the leaves. They are natives 

 of warm countries, as the East and West Indies, and South America. 

 The stomata on the lower side of the leaves of many of the species of 

 Begonia are arranged in clusters, and exhibit a beautiful appearance 

 under the microscope. Their leaves and young stems are acid, and 

 have been used for tarts. Their roots are astringent and slightly 

 bitter. Begonia dbliqua is said to have purgative roots, and it is some- 

 times called wild rhubarb. Begonias have a great tendency to become 

 viviparous. B. gemmypara of the Himalaya has gemmae in the axils 

 of the stipules. There are 42 genera and 170 known species. Ex- 

 amples — Begonia, Casparya, 



Order 143. — Laueace^, the Laurel Family. (Apet. Ferigyn.) 

 Perianth with 4 or 6 divisions, which are usually in 2 rows (figs. 

 801, 802), the limb sometimes obsolete ; aestivation imbricate (fig. 802). 

 Stamens perigynous, definite, often twice as many as the divisions of 

 the perianth, and arranged usually in two rows ; those of the inner 

 row (often three) being frequently sterile (staminodia), (fig. 803 es). 

 while those of the outer (often six in number) are fertile (figs. 802, 

 803 ef) ; if the inner stamens are fertile they are extrorse, while the 

 outer are introrse ; filaments of the inner row often with glands at 

 their base (figs. 357, p. 222; SOi g) ; anthers 2-4-celled, cells open- 

 ing by longitudinal valves (figs. 357, p. 222 ; 805). Ovary superior, 

 unilocular (fig. 803 o) ; ovule 'solitary, pendulous (fig. 803) ; style 

 simple ; stigma obtuse (fig. 803 s). Fruit baccate^ or drupaceous, 

 naked, or covered by the enlarged perianth (fig. 806) ; peduncle of the 

 fruit sometimes becoming fleshy. Seed solitary, pendulous ; albumen 

 ; embryo inverted (fig. 807 e) ; cotyledons large, plano-convex, pel- 

 tate near the base ; radicle very short, superior ; plumule conspicuous 

 — Trees, with exstipulate, alternate, rarely opposite leaves ; sometimes 

 twining, parasitic, and leafless herbs or undershrubs. They are natives 

 chiefly of the tropical regions of Asia and America. Few are found 

 in Africa. The order has been divided into two sub-orders : — 1. 



