490 FLORA OF TEXAS. 



maritime sliruh, with the habit of Salicornia; leaves oppo- 

 site, fleshy, chib-shaped, semi-terete ; stipules none ; petals 

 white. 



B. 3IARITIMA, L. Salt marshes. June-September. 

 Plant pale green, strong-scented; stems prostrate, 2°-3° 

 long, the short branching flowering-stems erect; leaves 1' 

 long; S2nlces 3 "-5" long. 



114. NETTLE FAMILY. Order, Urticace^. 



Herls, with watery juice, often armed with stinging 

 hairs; leaves undivided, stipulate ; ^^026'er5 monoecious or 

 dioecious, apetalous, clustered, cymose, spiked, or panicled ; 

 calyx of the sterile flower 4-5-parted or 4-5-sepalous ; 

 stamens as many as and opposite the sepals ; filaments in- 

 flexed in the bud, expanding elastically ; anthers 2-cellcd, 

 introrse ; calyx of the fertile flower 2-4-scpalous ; ovary 

 sessile, free, 1-celled, with a single erect orthotropous 

 ovule; stigma simple or tufted; «c/ic;zi!^?/i commonly in- 

 closed in the dry persistent calyx ; embryo straight in the 

 axis of fleshy albumen. 



SYNOPSIS. 



* Plants armed icilh stinging haii'S. 



Stamens 4. Stigma ivfted. Achenium straight Ubtica. 



** Plants destitute of siingbig hairs. 

 t Floicers in cymose clusters. 



Clusters naked. Calyx-lobes uneQual. Leaves opposite Pile a. 



— involucrate. equal. alternate Parietakia, 



tt FloTiVers in spiked clusters. 



&tigrnas subulate, leaves opposite or alfejmate rBcKHMERiA. 



UETICA, Tourn. Nettle. 



Floivers monoecious or dioecious ; calyx of the sterile 

 flov/er 4-parted ; stamens 4, inserted around the abortive 



