sometimes straight ; very rarely spiral, with hardly any albumen ; radicle pointing to the 
• hilum. — Herbaceous plants, occasionally becoming suffrutescent . Stems tumid at the arti- 
culations. Leaves always opposite and entire, often connate at the base. 
Affinities. On the one hand these plants are allied to Frankeniacese, 
with which they agree in their unguiculate petals, bearing processes at their 
orifice, and in some measure in habit ; and on the other to Linaceee, from 
which they are principally distinguished by their unilocular, or, if plurilocular, 
several- seeded capsules, albuminous seeds, and tubular calyx. GeraniacecC, 
Oxalidaceie, Violaceie, and Portulacacese, are all also allied in many particulars, 
but they are readily distinguished. Elatinacese differ in their exalbuminous 
seeds and capitate stigmas. Macrsea, a genus of mine, which Don states to 
be the same as Viviania, a neglected genus of Cavanilles (see Jameson s Journal, 
Jan. 1830, p. 70), if really belonging to the order, differs remarkably in the 
curved embryo lying, according to Hooker, in the midst of fleshy albumen, in 
its dry persistent petals, and in the vernation of both the calyx and petals ; 
but I inchne to think that this remarkable genus indicates the existence of an 
order allied to Frankeniaceae Geraniaceae or more closely than to Silenaceae. 
Geography. Natives principally of the temperate and frigid parts 
of the world, where they inhabit mountains, hedges, rocks, and waste 
places. Those which are found within the tropics are usually natives 
of high elevations and mountainous tracts, almost always reaching the 
limits of eternal snow, where many of them exclusively vegetate. Some Si- 
lenes are scattered in many different parts of the globe. According to the 
calculation of Humboldt, Silenacese and Alsinacese together constitute of 
the flowering plants of France, of Germany, Lapland, of North Ame- 
rica. 
Properties. Remarkable for little except their uniform insipidity. A 
few, such as the Dianthuses and Lychnis, are handsome flowers ; but the 
greater part are mere weeds. Saponaria officinalis, Gypsophila Ostruthium, 
Lychnis dioica, and L. chalcedonica, have saponaceous properties : Saponaria 
has been used in sy]jhilis. A decoction of the root of Silene virginica is said 
to have been employed in North America as anthelmintic. DC. 
GENERA. 
Drypis, L. Gypsophila, L. 
Velezia, L. Vaccaria, Dod. 
Acanthophyllum,Mey. Rokejeka, Forsk. 
Dianthus, L. Banffya, Baumg. 
Acosmia, Benth. 
Saponaria, L. 
Cucubalus, L. 
Scribcea, FI. Wett. 
Lychnanthus, Gmel. 
Silene, L. 
Lychnis, L. 
Agrostemma, L. 
Githago, Desf. 
Viviania, Cav. 
Macrcpa, Lindl. 
CcBsarea, Camb. 
Order XCV. ALSINACE.^. The Chickweed Tribe. 
Caryophylle.'e, § 1. 2, 3, Juss. Gen. 299. (1789). — Alsinete, DC. FI. Franc. Ed. 3.4. 
766. (1805); Bartl. Ord. Nat. 204. (1830); Fenzl Versuch. (1833). — Caryophye- 
LE^, § 2. DC. Prodr. 1. 388. (1824) .— Queriace^, DC. Prodr. 3. 379. (1828).— 
MINU ARTIE.®, Id. (1828). 
Essential Character. — Sepals 4-5, slightly imbricated in aestivation. Petals a like 
number, sessile, often two-lobed, deciduous, occasionally 0 ; inserted on the outside of 
a sort of fleshy ring, which is more or less and sometimes very manifestly perigynous. 
Stamens double the petals, seldom a like number, or fewer, inserted into the edge of the 
fleshy ring ; anthers incumbent, 2-celled, opening longitudinally, without a connective. 
Ovary 1 -celled, many-seeded. Stigmas 2-5, linear, long, distinct, sessile, or placed on a 
