DICOTYLEDONES— CALYOIPLOEiE 353 



nuijaerouR, or rarely solitary ; embryo flat, without albumen ; 

 cotyledons leafy ; raddcle towards the hUum. 



Diagnosis. — Herbs, usually of a succulent nature, prostrate 

 or climbing. Leaves rough, alternate, radiate-veined, exstipu- 

 late. Flowers unisexual. Calyx 5-toothed or obsolete, superior 

 in the female flowers. Corolla perigynous. Male flower with 

 usually 5 stamens, which are distinct, monadelphous, or tria- 

 delphous, and epipetalous; rarely there are but 2 or 3 stamens ; 

 anthers long and usually sinuous or sometimes straight. Female 

 flower: — Ovary inferior, with parietal placentas; style short; 

 stigmas more or less dilated. Fruit succulent. Seeds flat, 

 generally numerous, exalbuminous, cotyledons leafy. 



Division of the Order and Illustrative Genera. — The Cucur- 

 bitaceae have been divided by Bentham and Hooker as follows : — 



Series 1. Plagiospeeme^. — Ovules horizontal. Illustrative 

 Oenus : — Bryonia, Linn. 



Series 2. OkthospeemejE. — Ovules erect or ascending. Illustra- 

 tive Genus : — Trianosperma, Torr. et Gr. 



Series 3. Cremospeeme^. — Ovules pendulous. Illustrative 

 Genera: — Sicyos, Linn. ; Sechium, P. Br. 



Distribution and Numbers. — Natives principally of hot 

 climates in almost every part of the world, but especially abun- 

 dant in the East Indies. One species only, Bryonia dioica, 

 occurs in the British Islands. There are about 360 species. 



Properties and Uses. — An acrid bitter purgative property is 

 the chief characteristic of the plants of this order ; this is 

 possessed more or less by all parts of the plant, but it is 

 especially evident in the pulp surrounding the seeds ; the seeds 

 themselves are, however, usually harmless. In some plants 

 this acridity is so concentrated that they become poisonous ; 

 while in other cases, and especially from cultivation, it is so 

 diffused that their fruit is edible. 



Order 154. Begoniaoe^, the Begonia Order. — Character. — 

 Herbs, or low succulent shrubs. Leaves alternate, very unequal- 

 sided at the base, with large membranous stipules. Flowers uni- 

 sexual. Pecia-raife coloured. Male flower ^iih. ^ perianth-leaves, 

 2 of which are smaller than the others, and decussating with 

 them, are placed internally to them. Stamens numerous, distinct 

 or united by their filaments into a column; anthers 2-ceIled, 

 clavate, with longitudinal dehiscence, clustered. Female flower 

 with 5 or 8 perianth-leaves. Ovary inferior, winged, 3-celled, 

 with three large projecting placentas, meeting in the axis ; 



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