LXXVII. SAXIFEAGEiE. 389 



[The bark of Moquilia iitilis, the Pottery Tree of the Amazons, abounds in silica to such an extent 

 that when pulverized and mixed with clay it is used in making pottery by the natives of Para. Quillaja 

 Saponaria and brasiliensis yield bark, used as soap, and containing a sternutatory allied to saponine. — Ed.] 



LXXVII. SAXIFEAGEJE. 



(SAXiPKAGiB, Jussieu. — Saxifrages, Ventenat. — Saxifeagaces, B.C.) 



CoEOLLA polypetalous, perigynous or epigynous, isostemonous or diplostemonous, 

 wstivation imbricate. Stamens inserted with the petals. Caepels usually 2, distinct, 

 or cohering into an ovary with more or less complete cells. Ovules anatropous. Fettit 

 dry. Embeto albuminous, axile. 



Stem herbaceous or sub-woody, sometimes woody, variable in appearance. 

 Leaves alternate or opposite, sometimes wborled; stipules in the herbaceous 

 species, interpetiolar in the woody, deciduous. Flowbes ^ , regular or rarely 

 irregular, variously arranged. Calyx usually pentamerous; sepals distinct or 

 connate. Petals 5, rarely fewer, inserted on a disk lining the calyx-tube, and 

 alternate with the sepals, generally imbricate in aestivation, very rarely (Chryso- 

 splenium). Stamens inserted alternately with the petals, or double them in number, 

 very rarely indefinite [Bauera) ; filaments filiform, subulate; anthers introrse, 

 2-celled, ovoid, dehiscing longitudinally. Caepels usuallj' 2, sometimes 1 (Neillia), 

 rarely 3 or 6, free, or united with the receptacular cup into an ovary of more or less 

 perfect cells ; styles and stigmas terminal, simple, sometimes cohering (Polyosma) ; 

 ovules usually numerous, fixed either throughout their length, or to the bottom or 

 top of the placentas, horizontal, ascending or pendulous, anatropous ; stigmas 

 terminal, simple, sometimes cohering {Polyosma) . Eeuit capsular, rarely ind^hiscent, 

 more rarely fleshy (Polyosma) ; carpels separating when ripe at their inner edge, 

 either from the top downwards, or the reverse. Seeds usually numerous, very 

 rarely solitary, or definite, small ; testa smooth or punctate, sometimes winged. 

 Embkto straight, in the axis of a fleshy abundant albumen, and nearly equalling it 

 in length ; cotyledons short, semi-cylindric ; radicle near the hilum, direction 

 various. 



SuB-oEDBR I. SAXIFRAGES, D.G.' 



Stem herbaceous. Leaves alternate or rarely opposite, exstipulate, or with 

 petioles of which the dilated bases resemble stipules. Flowers all fertile, racemed 

 or panicled, rarely solitary. Petals 6, regular or dimorphous, sometimes 0. Stamens 

 5 or 10. Ovary free or inferior. 



PRINCIPAL GENEEA. 

 *Saxifraga. Chrysosplenium. *Hoteia. *Astilbe. 



' For the most recent elassifieaticn of Saxifrages, see p. 392. — Eu. 



