﻿■minute, transparent, pointed protuberances, generally branched at 

 the base ; branches loosely spreading, and procumbent ; there are 

 also smaller branches higher up, which are straight and subdivided. 

 Leaves opposite, awl-shaped, combined by their broad, sheathing 

 bases, 3-ribbed, smooth, their margins minutely fringed. Flowers 

 small, white, solitary, upright, on terminal or axillary rougbish 

 stalks. Sepals (see fig. 1.) egg-spear-shaped, pointed, each with 

 3 close ribs, and broad, membranous margins. Petals (see fig. 3.) 

 membranaceous, blunt, rather more than half the length of the 

 sepals. It has sometimes only 2 stamens. 



We may consider this plant as a doubtful native, as it is said 

 not to have been found on Hounslow Heath by ary Botanist except 

 Mr. Doody. — “ The late Sir Joseph Banks, who often examined 

 the coast near Boston, was persuaded that Bupleurum tenuissimum 

 had been mistaken for Bvffonia ; yet. Plukenet and Dillenius 

 certainly knew the latter perfectly, and the original specimen in the 

 British Museum is right.” Sir J. E. Smith, in Engl. FI. 



Caryophy'lleae. — This Order is composed of dicotyledonous, 

 herbaceous, or occasionally somewhat shrubby, plants, with knotted 

 stems, and opposite, entire leaves, which are often united (connate) 

 at their base. Their flowers are terminal, solitary, or disposed in 

 racemes, panicles, or corymbs, and are either white, yellow, red, 

 or the shades between these colours. The calyx is composed of 

 4 or 5 sepals, continuous with the peduncle ; either distinct or 

 united together into a tube, which is 4- or 5-toothed, constantly 

 imbricate in (Estivation, and usually permanent. The corolla con- 

 sists of 4 or 5 petals, commonly clawed (unguiculate) at the base, 

 inserted upon the pedicel of the ovarium ; occasionally wanting. 

 The stamens are either equal in number with the petals, or double 

 that number, inserted upon the pedicel of the ovarium along with 

 the petals ; the filaments are awl-shaped, sometimes monadelphous ; 

 the anthers 2-celled, with 2 longitudinal fissures, usually inserted 

 by their base. The germen ( ovarium J is inserted on the top of 

 a pedicel (called the gynophorus), and crowned by the styles, which 

 vary from 2 to 5, each terminating in an awl-shaped stigma. The 

 capsule is 2- to 5-valved, united at the base and opening at the top, 

 toothed ; teeth equal in number to the valves of the capsule, some- 

 times entire, sometimes bifid, usually 1-celled, but sometimes 2- to 

 5-celled, from the partitions jutting out from the valves to the 

 central placenta ; sometimes incomplete, sometimes continuous to 

 the axis. The placenta is always central, it is free and rather coni- 

 cal in the 1-celled capsule, and sometimes, though seldom, con- 

 tinuous with the base of the styles ; in the many-eelled capsules it 

 is connected with the dissepiments. The seeds are indefinite in 

 number, rarely definite ; the albumen is mealy ; and the embryo is 

 curved round the albumen, with the radical pointing towards the 

 hilum. — See Lind. Syn. and Don's Gen. Syst. of Gard. Sf Bot. 



