■t SYNOPSIS OF TEE NATURAL ORDERS. 



Class I. DICOTYLEDONS. 



Herbs, shrubs or trees. Stem, wben perennial, with pith surrounded 

 by concentric layers of wood and a separable bark, increasing in girth 

 by additional exogenous layers of wood and endogenous layers of bark. 

 Leaves net-veined, usually disarticulating. Whorls of perianth 4-or 

 5-m.erous. Ovules inclosed in an ovary. Embryo with 2 coty- 

 edons ; radicle elongating to form the primary root. 



Exceptions. Trimerous flowers occur in Anonace^, MENispERMACEiE, 

 Bebbbbide^ and in a few other orders. Cotyledons not developed in 

 Cuscuta (CoNvOLvuLACE-a:). 



Division I. Polypetalse. Flowers with both calyx and corolla* 

 Tetals free. 



Exceptions. Flowers wanting either calyx or corolla occur in:— E a nun - 

 cuLACE-ffi, Menispebmaoe^, Ckucifbb^, Bixine^, Caryophtlle^, 



STEECULIACRiE, EUTACB^, OlACINE^, EhAMNE^, SapINDACE^, 



Anacabdiace^, Combeetace^, Lythkace^, Samydace^, Ficoi- 

 DB:®.'" Flowers with petals more or less connate at the base occur in : — 



ANONACE^, MENISPERMACE-ffi:, TEBNSTBCEMIACBiE, MALVACEiE, 



Ilicinb^, CBASsuLACE^a;, Mybtaoe^, Cuodrbitace^. See also the 

 exceptional Gamopetalce and Monochlamydeoe. 



Sub-division 1. Thalamiflorse. Flowers mostly regular and 

 2 -sexual. Calyx infer. (^ infer, in Rortulaca), of distinct or connate 

 sepals. Petals distinct or united at the very base only, hypogynous. 

 Torus rarely expanded into a disk. Stamens hypogynous. Ovary 

 superior (immersed in the torus in Nymphcsacece). 



* Ovary apocarpous {apparently syncarpous in Dillenia and Nymphaea). 

 Flowers regular, 2-sexual except in Menispermacese. 



I. EanunculacE/E. Sep. deciduous, often petaloid. Pet. sometimes 

 wanting. Stam. indef. — Herbs with altern, leaves, or climbing shrubs. 

 (Clematis) with opp. leaves ; stip. or adnate to petioles. 



II. DiLLENlACE^(Dillenia). iSe?9. herbaceous, persistent. ^S'iam. indef ., 

 in many series. Seeds usually arillate, but not in Dillenia. Trees with 

 altern. simple leaves, stip. 0. 



III. Anohjtacb^. Ftowers usually 3-merous. Sep. valvate, in one series. 

 Pet. usually in 2 series, fleshy. Stam. usually many. Carpels usually 

 many, subconnate in Anona.^ Embryo small, in ruminated endosperm. 

 '1 rees or skcabs, with altern. simple entire leaves ; stip. 0. 



IV. Menispermace^. Flowers dioecious or polygam., small, usually 

 5-merous. Pet. shorter than sep., 6, rarely 0. Male pl.:— iStaw. 6, in 2 

 series, opp. the pet. Fbm. fl.: - Staminodes usually 6 or 0, rarely 9. Car- 

 pels usually 3 ; style lateral or basal. Climbing shrubs with exstip. altern* 

 leaves. 



V. Bbbbebide^e (Berberis). jSfep. and 2>ef, 6, similar, imbricate, cadu- 

 cous. Stam. 8, opp. pet.; anther-cells opening by ascending valves. Car- 



