ORDER CXXV. PHYTOLACCACEJE. 



Calyx 4 — 5 sepaled : sepals more or less cohering at the 

 base, equal or unequal, imbricated in aestivation : corolla 

 very often wanting, petals inserted at the base of the calyx, 

 equal to, or alternate with, or fewer than the sepals, free, 

 minute, narrowly clawed : stamens hypogynous or nearly so, 

 inserted at the base of the disc, equal to or alternating with 

 the sepals, or more, outer alternate, inner opposite, seldom 

 indefinite or arranged without order : filaments filiform, or 

 tubulate from an ovate base, free, or combined below into a 

 fimbriated or entire cup : anthers 3-celled, erect or incumbent, 

 ovate, ovate-sagittate or oblong-linear, introrse, dehiscing 

 lengthways, fixed by the back or base : cells opposite, con- 

 nate : ovary simple or compound, consisting of many distinct 

 or more or less connate verticilled carpels, sometimes com- 

 pound and 1-celled: ovule 1, fixed by the base: styles 

 introrsely lateral, running from the apex to the central angle 

 of the carpels, distinct, uncinately recurved : stigma the 

 inner surface of the styles : fruit surrounded by the calyx or 

 by the base, many or 2-seeded : carpels free or connate, 

 sometimes separating, 1-seeded, or monocarpous and 1-seeded, 

 usually indehiscent : pericarp baccate, utricular, shell-shaped, 

 nut-like, or samaroid: seed erect: albumen mealy: embryo 

 annular: radicle inferior. — Herbs oi undershrubs, erect or 

 prostrate : leaves alternate, simple, sessile or petioled, mem- 

 branaceous or slightly fleshy, usually quite entire, exstipulate, 

 or with 2 free, tubulate and deciduous, or prickly and per- 

 sistent stipules at the base of the petioles : flowers regular or 

 irregular, hermaphrodite, seldom dioecious, pedicelled, seldom 

 * sessile, spiked, racemose or corymbosely glomerate, axillary, 

 terminal and leaf-opposed: bracts or bracteoles 3, very 

 seldom 2, persistent or deciduous, lower one usually larger. 



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