DAPHNADS. : 439 
Islands; and the Tetragonia expansa, a New Zealand annual, is 
cultivated as a garden vegetable and substituted for spinach. * 
e SCLERANTHACEX are inconspicuous herbs of no known use. 
DaPHNADS. 
Evergreen Shrubs and trees sometimes of large dimensions, 
with monochlamydeous flowers; when a corolla exists the petals 
have the colour, texture, and quality of the calyx. Carpel solitary, 
and embryo almond-like, without albumen. Including the re- 
freshing T/ymus, whose name speaks of reviving strength ; Protea, 
of variety and transformations ; Laurus, of all that is green and 
aromatic. The Cassyt. are tropical parasites of curious 
abit. | 
Shrubby, “occasionally herbaceous plants, with simple alternate 
leaves ; flowers unisexual by abortion, terminal or axillary, in heads, 
loured, petaloid, and tubular ; CCIII. Thymelacee. 
) ite, rarely unisexual, in s) K » Pl 
ceeding from the axils of the leaves; stamens four; anthers sessile, 
bursting longitudinally ; ovules erect, and calyx valvate. 
Parasitical plants resembling the Dodders, having scales here and } 
there in place of leaves on their twinin stems; six-parted ci 
the three outer lamingw being small and monospermous; stamens 
COCVI. Cassythacex. 
Petal-like, twelve, in four rows; anthers two-celled, bursting by | 
frui ent calyx. 
_ Tecurved valves ; 
t buried in a succulent permanen 
An interesting group of plants, whether we consider them as 
objects of floral beauty and fragrance, as associated with poetical 
iterature, or in a medicinal and industrial sense. The Tuyme- 
Lace, or Spurge Laurels, include (1) the Daphnidex, having the 
throat of the perianth naked; (2) the Gnidiew, in which the 
throat is bearded with scales or glands ; (3) the Drymispermidze ; 
the perianth being naked, and the flowers hermaphrodite. The name 
of the order is derived from Thymetwa, a plant spoken of by the 
ancients. The plants of this order occur in great abundance in the 
cooler parts of India, South America, South Africa, and Australia ; 
ey occur also in Europe. Their most common property 1s 
