CXCII. UETICEJJ]. 



667 



Belxine Soleirolii. 

 S flower, involucred. 



Hetxine. 

 (J and 9 flower (mag.). 



Helxine. 

 Q flower, involucred (mag.)- 



Flowers dddinous or polygamous. — $ : perianth calyciform, isostemonous ; 

 FILAMENTS vMcoiUng elastically. — $ : perianth calyciform, sometimes 0. Ovart 

 1-celled ; ovule solitary, erect, orthotropous. Fruit dry or fleshy. Albumen more or 

 less copious. Embryo ttraight, axile, antitropous ; radicle superior. — Leaves 

 stipulate. 



Herbs, undershrubs or shrubs, very rarely climbing {TJrera), or trees ; juice 

 watery, very rarely milky {Neraudia) ; whole plant often armed with hairs, some 

 simple, others furnished at the base with an outer layer of cellules containing an 

 acrid and burning juice ; epidermal cells often containing cystoliths (see p. 121). 

 Stem often angular ; ha/rh thin, with very tenacious fibres. Leaves alternate or 

 opposite, petioled, penninerved, entire, toothed or serrate, rarely palmi-nerved and 

 -lobed ; stipules adnate to the stem or petiole, lateral or axillary, free or joined to 

 those of the opposite leaf [rarely 0]. Flowers monoecious, dioecious or polygamous, 

 usually in cymes, very rarely solitary and axillary {ffelxine), sometimes crowded 

 upon a common receptacle, which is convex {Pipturus, Procris, &c.) or concave 

 (Elatostemma) ; cymes loose or glomerate or capitate, solitary or geminate when the 

 inflorescence is definite ; sometimes spiked racemed or panicled when it is mixed 

 and indefinite ; peddcels frequently jointed ; bracts usually small and persistent, often 

 forming an involucre, and distinct or coherent, sometimes 0. Flowers $ : Perianth 

 single (OALTX), usually green, rarely coloured, gamosepalous, 4-5- (rai-ely 2-3-) 

 partite, sometimes monosepalous {Forskohlea) ; segments equal, concave, imbricate in 

 aestivation {Urtica, &c.), or valvate {Parietaria, &c.). Stamens equal and opposite 

 to the segments, and inserted at their base ; filaments filiform, subulate or dilated, 

 usually transversely wrinkled, inflexed in aestivation and uncoiling elastically in 

 flower ; anthers 2-celled, introrse, dorsifixed, cells contiguous, usually oblong, globose 

 or reniform, dehiscence longitudinal. Ovart rudimentary, sessile or stipitate, 

 glabrous or hairy. Flowers ? : Perianth (oaltx) tubular or 3-5-partite or 

 -lobed, often accrescent, rarely (Forskohlea, &c.). Stamens rudimentary, scale- 

 like, opposite to the sepals [Pilea, Procris, &c.), usually 0. Ovart free or adnate to 

 the perianth {Pipturus, &c.), sessile or shortly stipitate, ovoid, 1-celled ; style termi- 

 nal or sub-lateral, simple, or with a capitate or penicillate stigma, or stigmatiferous 

 on one side, or very short, or obsolete ; stigmM sessile, laciniate-multipartite ; ovul-e 



