AXGIOSPEB M .y., DICOTTIiEDOXES. 781 



only been observed in a very few species (e.g. Potenum). In some Diyadaceae and 

 Quysobalanefe the style springs in a carious manner from the base of the ovary 

 (see fig. 43S*'). The fruit is a pod (legume) in PapiMonaceae, Cjesalpinese, and 

 Mimosese, and these three sub-families are hence often classed toirether by botanists 

 aader the name of Leguminosse. The fruit of Amygdalew. Chrysobalanea and 

 Rubea is a 1-stoned drupe, that of Rhaninace« a 3-stoned drupe. The Agrimone« 

 and Dryadese are distinguished by small nut-like fruits, and the Spireeese, S^sxi- 

 bagacese, and Crassulace^ have follicles which dehisce at the upper part of the 

 ventral suture. In most of the families above enumerated the seeds contain no 

 endosperm; on the other hand, the thick cotyledons are crammed with reserve 

 materials, and several of these seeds are used as important articles of human food 

 (t.g. beans, peas, lentils, ire). 



The Grateranthffi are distributed in all quarters of the globe and in all latitudes. 

 Cffisalpineffi and Chrysobalane« belong chiefly to the tropics, whilst Dryadeae and 

 Sasifragacese live principally in the arctic regions and on high mountains. The 

 Papilionacese are found most abundantly in the area of the Mediterranean flora 

 and in the steppes in the south-west of Asia. More than SCO sp^ecies of the genus 

 Adragalus alone are known to exist in the last-mentioned districts. The Mimoses. 

 especially the species of the genus Acacia, are represented in Africa and Australia 

 by many characteristic forms. Rosea and Rubese, e.g. the genera Bom and Euhu-s. 

 oocur in an astonishing variety of sp>ecies iu Central Em-ope. whilst the Spirtear 

 »nd Amygdale* are iu like abundance in the west of Asia. Cra&sulaceK are most 

 abundant at the Cape and in Mexico, hut they are also represente-d hy a great 

 number of species of the irenus Sempirvivum in the mountainous parts of Southern 

 Europe. Rhodicla rosea, which belongs to this family, occurs in the arctic flora, 

 and Stdum repens is found in the Alps at a height of 3000 metres above the sea. 

 Of the Sasifragacese, Sa.iifiviga oppoi-irifolia reaches the furthest north, it having 

 heeti met with at the northernmost sp-ot hitherto visite^i in Franz Joseph s Land, at 

 Sr" X. Lat In the Central Alps this Saxifrage is found at an elevation of olfjO 

 merres. Fossil remains of Rosaee«, Legnminosa?. and Rhamnaoese have been idenu- 

 fied in the deposits of the Tertiary Period The number of extant species hitherto 

 (haoovered amounts to about 10,000. 



Alliance LVHL— Myrtalffi. 



FamDies: Myria-ci.T. GranaiacecB, Onagrjax. 



Annual and perennial herbs, shrubs, and trees, with entire foliage-leaves. "\ ena- 

 tJon eoDsisting of a main axial strand, with sinuous lateral strands branching 

 pimwteiyfromit Flowers hermaphiodite.aetinomorphic or zygomoiphic. Thefloral- 

 feaves spring from an annular or tubular hypanthinm, which is fused with the 

 infeior ovary: they are differentiated into calyx and corolla, each of which consists 

 of a 2-6-merous whorL The stamens are in 1. '2 or more whorls of 2-6 memttrs 



