190 BOTANY. 
eleven genera and fifty-three species. All the species yield mucilage in 
large quantity, and none are poisonous. The Hollyhock, Althcea rosea, is 
an ornamental plant, as are many other species. The Sun-hemp of India 
is derived from Hibiscus esculentus. Okra, a substance much used in 
soups, is the fruit of Abelmoschus esculentus. Various species of Gossypium 
furnish cotton, which consists of the hairs surrounding the seed. These, 
when dry, cdi to the microscope a peculiar twisted appearance, by 
which they are readily recognised. The Sea Island, New Orleans, and 
Georgia cottons, considered the best, are obtained ae G. barbadense. G. 
acuminatum furnishes the South een cotton ; G. arboreum, the Indian 
tree cotton ; G. nanking, nankeen cotton. The nankeen color is said to be 
imparted by the fruit of Acacia arabica. 
Gossypium herbaceum,. Cotton plant (pl. 67, jig. 11); a, a Aowekites 
branch, and a@ (to the right hand), a flower; 6, capsule with the ealyx's.c, 
eiponle: d, germs ; @, cross-section of the ee ; J; seeds with the cotton 
hairs; gm, seeds with the embryo. 
Orper 197. Viviantacez, the Viviania Family. Sepals five, united. 
Petals five, hypogynous, unguiculate, persistent, with twisted sestivation. 
Stamens ten, hypogynous; filaments free; anthers bilocular, opening 
longitudinally. Ovary free, three-celled; stigmas three. Capsule three- 
celled, three-valved, loculicidal; seeds, two in each cell, with a curved 
embryo lying in fleshy albumen. Herbaceous or suffruticose plants, with | 
opposite or verticillate exstipulate leaves. Natives of South America, 
shaving no properties of importance. Genera four, species fifteen. 
Examples: Viviania, Ceesarea. : 
Orver 198. CaryopHyLLAces, the Chickweed Family. Sepals four or 
five, free, or united in a tube, persistent. Petals four to five, hypogynous, 
unguiculate, often bifid or bipartite, occasionally 0. Stamens usually 
double the number of the petals, or, if equal, usually alternate with them; 
filaments subulate, sometimes united; anthers innate, bilocular, dehiscence 
longitudinal. Ovary single, often stalked or supported on a gynophore 
composed of two to five carpels, which are usually united by their edges, 
but sometimes the edges are turned inwards, so as to form partial 
dissepiments; stigmas two to five, with papille on their inner surface. 
Capsule unilocular, or imperfectly bi-quinquelocular, two- to five-valved, 
opening either by valves, or more commonly by twice as many teeth as 
stigmas ; placenta in the axis of the fruit. Seeds usually 00, amphitropal, 
with mealy albumen, and a peripherical embryo. Herbs, sometimes 
suffruticose plants, with opposite, entire, exstipulate, sometimes connate 
leaves, and usually cymose inflorescence. They inhabit chiefly temperate 
and cold regions. Lindley mentions 53 genera and 1055 species, of which 
11 genera and upwards of 100 species belong to the United States. 
Sub-order 1. Alsinew. Sepals nearly or quite distinct. Petals sessile. 
Examples: *Mollugo, *Arenaria, *Stellaria, *Cerastium. 
Sub-order 2. Sulenee. Sepals united into a cylindrical tube. Petals 
unguiculate. Examples: *Silene, *Lychnis, “Saponaria, *Dianthus. 
_ Some authors separate a third sub-order, Molugines, from Alsinez, with 
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