350 MANUAL OF BOTANY 



Properties and Uses. — Some species of Homalium are astrin- 

 gent, but nothing is known of the properties of the other 

 genera. 



Order 148. Loasace^, the Chili Nettle Order. — Character. 

 Herhaceous jjlwnts, with stiff hairs or stinging glands. Leaves 

 exstiptilate. ' Calyx superior, 4- or 5-parted, persistent. Petals 

 5 or 10, in 2 whorls, often hooded. Stamens numerous, in 

 several whorls, either distinct or united in bundles. Ovarij 

 inferior, 1-celled, with several parietal placentas, or 1 axile pla- 

 centa ; style 1 ; ovules anatropous. Fruit capsular or succulent. 

 Seeds with a loose testa, and having an embryo lying in the 

 axis of fleshy albumen. 



Distribution and Ntimbers. — They are all natives of North 

 and South America. Illustrative Genera : — Bartonia, Muehl. ; 

 Loasa, Adans. There are about 70 species. 



Properties and Uses. — Some of the species are remarkable 

 for their stinging glands ; hence their common name of Chi]i 

 Nettles. Several species are cultivated on account of the beauty 

 of their flowers. A Mexican species, Mentselia hispida, is re- 

 puted to possess a purgative root. 



Order 149. Tubnerace*, the Turnera Order. — Charac- 

 ter. — Herbaceous or somewhat shrubby plants. Leaves alter- 

 nate, exstiptdate, hairy. Flowers axillary. Calyx inferior, 5- 

 lobed, imbricate in aestivation. Petals 5, equal, twisted in aesti- 

 vation, without a corona, perigynous, deciduous. Stamens 5, 

 alternate with the petals, perigynous ; filaments distinct. Ovary 

 1-celled, superior, with 3 parietal placentas ; styles 3, more or 

 less united at the base, forked or branched above. Fruit cap- 

 sular, 1-ceUed, 3-valved, partially dehiscing in a loculicidal 

 manner. Seeds with a caruncle on one side, and a slightly 

 curved embryo in the midst of fleshy albumen. 



Distribution and Numbers. — Natives exelusively of South 

 America and the West Indies. Illustrative Genera : — Turnera, 

 Plum.; Piriqueta, ji!(6/. There are about 60 species. 



Properties and Uses. — Some are said to be astringent, others 

 tonic and expectorant, and a few aromatic. 



Order 150. Passiflorace^, the Passion-flower Order. — Cha- 

 racter. — Herbs or shrubs, usually climbing by tendrils, or 

 rarely trees. Leaves alternate, with foliaceous or rarely minute 

 stipules. Flowers perfect or very rarely unisexual. Sepals 5, 

 united below into a tube, the throat of which bears a number 

 of filamentous processes, thus forming a kind of corona ; 

 petals 5, inserted into the throat of the calyx on the outside 



