BOTANY. 195 
placentas; stigmas three. Fruit either a unilocular, many-seeded capsule, 
opening at the apex, so as to render the seeds seminude, or three to six few- 
seeded follicles. Seeds reniform, usually exalbuminous; embryo curved ; 
radicle superior ; cotyledons fleshy. Herbaceous plants, rarely shrubs, with 
alternate, entire, or divided leaves, having gland-like stipules. They 
inhabit chiefly Europe and the adjoining parts of Asia. A few are found in 
the north of India and south of Africa. The uses of the order are unim- 
portant. Reseda luteola, Weld, yields a yellow dye. Reseda odorata is 
the fragrant Mignonette. The Mignonette is rendered suffruticose by 
preventing the development of its blossoms. This is the origin of the tree 
Mignonette, which is much cultivated in France. There are six known 
genera and forty-one species, according to Lindley. Example: Reseda: 
Ellimia ruderalis of California appears to be the only American represen- 
tative. 
Reseda luteola, Weld, or Dyer’s rocket, Europe (pl. 66, jig. 18); a, 0, 
flowers and leaf; ¢, flower; e, capsule; 7, seed; g, flower from above. 
Orver 208. Cappartmpacea, the Caper Family. Sepals four, often more 
or less cohering. Petals four, sometimes 0, cruciate, usually unguiculate 
and unequal. Stamens hypogynous, four to six, or 00, but in general some 
high multiple of four, placed in an elongated hemispherical and often 
glandular torus. Ovary usually stalked; style filiform, sometimes 0; 
ovules curved. Fruit unilocular, siliqueform, and dehiscent, or fleshy and 
indehiscent, rarely monospermous, usually with two polyspermous placentas. 
Seeds generally reniform and exalbuminous ; embryo curved; cotyledons 
foliaceous, flattish. Herbs, shrubs, sometimes trees, with alternate, stalked, 
undivided, or palmate leaves, which are either exstipulate or have spines at 
their base. They are found chiefly in warm countries, and are abundant 
in Africa. There are 28 genera and 340 species. Six genera and eleven 
species are natives of North America. Zrzbe1. Cleomew. Fruit capsular. 
Examples: *Cleome, *Polanisia. Zribe 2. Capparee. Fruit fleshy. 
Example: Capparis. Not found in North America. 
The flower buds of Capparis spinosa, a native of the south of Europe, 
furnish capers. This plant is supposed to be the Hyssop of the 
Scriptures. 
Capparis spinosa, Caper plant (pl. 66, jig. 12); a, flowering branch; 4, 
capsule; ¢, cross-section of ditto; d, seed. 
Orver 209. Crucirers, the Ponsieods or Creswort Family. Brassi- 
cacere of Lindley. Sepals four, deciduous, the two latter ones gibbous at 
the base. Petals four, hypogynous, alternating with the sepals, deciduous, 
cruciate. Stamens six, tetradynamous, two shorter, solitary, opposite the 
lateral sepals, occasionally toothed ; four longer, opposite the anterior and 
posterior sepals, generally free, sometimes partially united and furnished 
with a tooth on the inside; anthers bilocular, introrse. Torus with green 
glands between the petals and stamens and ovary. Ovary superior, with 
parietal placentas, which meet in the middle, forming a spurious dissepiment 
or replum ; stigmas two, opposite the placentas, or anterior and posterior. 
Fruit a siliqua, or a silicula, rarely one-celled and indehiscent, usually 
195 
