ANGIOSPEKM^, DICOTYLEDONES. 



779 



same ground as the Beech, and, in the Central Alps, even extends beyond the upper 

 hmit of the Beech. Fossil remains are found in the Mesozoic and Tertiary strata. 

 The number of known species now living is about 9000. 



Alliance LVII.— Crateranthse. 



Families: LeguminoscB, Rosacece, Saxifragacece, Escalloniacece, Cephalotacece 

 Francoacece, Grassulacece, Hydrangeacece, Eibesacece, Philadelphacece. 

 Styracacece, Hamamelidacece, Rhamnacece. 



Annual and perennial herbs, shrubs, and trees. Flowers abundant; actino- 

 morphic and zygomorphic; hermaphrodite, pseudo-hermaphrodite, moncecious, and 

 dioecious. Floral - leaves in 

 two 4-5-merous whorls, the 

 lower whorl a calyx, the upper 

 a corolla. Both whorls spring 

 from the pitcher-shaped, bowl- 

 shaped, or flat hypanthium, 

 the petals always from the 

 edge, the sepals, in part, also 

 from the base of the hypan- 

 thium. In the last case the 

 tube of the calyx is adnate 

 to the external surface of the 

 hypanthium. The gyneeceum 

 is in the middle of the hypan- 

 thium, and consists either of 

 a single carpel with a uni- 

 loeularovary (seefigs. 438*i' ^' *), 

 or of several separate unilocu- 

 lar carpels (see fig. 438* 2, and 

 p. 74, fig. 208 2), or of 2-many 

 united carpels inclosing a 

 multilocular ovary which may 

 be adnate to the surrounding 

 hypanthium at the base only, 

 or from the base to the 

 middle, or from the base to 

 the top (see p. 74, fig. 208*'^'^). The ovules are situated on the ventral suture, 

 and therefore in the inner angles of the loculi. The stamens spring from the 

 edge of the hypanthium (see fig. 438*), and are in 1-2 whorls of 3-5 members 

 each. The fruit is very various (pod, follicle, drupe, nut, berry, &c.), and the 

 diversity in this respect affords the best means of distinguishing the numerous 

 families belonging to this alliance. The hypanthium also varies considerably, and 



Fig. 438*.— Crateranthae. 



Longitudinal sections througli the flowers of; i Cadia varia (Family 

 Leguminosse, division CEesalpinese). 2 Agrinnonia Eupatorium (Family 

 Kosacese, division Agrimoniacese). 8 Chrysobalanus (Family Rosacese, 

 division ChrysobalanaceBe). * Anthyllis Vulneraria (Family Leguminosse, 

 division Papilionacese). (After Baillon.) 



