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bursting longitudinally, each adnate to a fleshy connective, which coheres laterally in 
various degrees (2-celled, according to some) ; filament slightly adhering to the ovary. 
Ovary 1-celled; stigma simple, sessile; ovule pendulous. Fruit drupaceous, indehiscent. 
Seed pendulous ; embryo minute, placed at the apex of fleshy albumen, with the radicle 
inferior, and consequently remote from the hilum ; cotyledons divaricate. — Herbaceous 
plants or under-shrubs, with an aromatic taste. Stems jointed, tumid under the articula- 
tions. Leaves opposite, simple, with sheathing petioles and minute intervening stipules. 
Flowers in terminal spikes. 
Affinities. Nearly allied to Saururacese and Piperaceae, from both which 
they differ in the want of a sac to the embryo, and in the pendulous ovule, 
and opposite leaves mth intermediate stipules. Their anthers consist of a 
fleshy mass, upon the face of which the cell lies that bears the pollen ; whe- 
ther these anthers are 1- or 2-celled, is a matter of doubt; one botanist con- 
sidering those which have 2 cells to be double anthers, another un- 
derstanding those with 1 cell to be half anthers. Blume describes a calyx 
as being sometimes present in a rudimentary state, adhering to the ovary, and 
hence he suspects some aflinity between these plants and Opercularinese. But 
I am persuaded that no such rudiment exists : it is not represented in Blume’s 
figures. 
Geography. Natives of the hot parts of India and South America, the 
West Indies, and Society Islands, 
Properties. The whole plant of Chi. officinalis has an aromatic fragrant 
odour, which is gradually dissipated in drpng ; but its roots retain a fragrant 
camphorated smell, and an aromatic, somewhat bitter, flavour. They are 
found to possess very nearly the properties of Aristolochia serpentaria, and in 
as high a degree. TTiere seems to be no doubt that it is a stimulant of the 
highest order. See Blume FI. Jav. 
GENERA. 
Ascarina, Forst. Creodus, Lour. Hedyosmum, Sw. 
Chloranthus, Sw. Cryphcea, Hamilt. Tafalla, Ruiz et Pav. 
Nigrina, Thumb. Peperidia, Rchb. 
Order CXXXIV. SAURURACE^. 
Saurure^, Rich. Anal. (1808) ; Meyer de Houttuynia atque Saurureis, (1827) ; 
Martius Hort. Monac. ( 1 829) . 
Essential Character. — Flowers naked, seated upon a scale, hermaphrodite. Stamens 
6, clavate, hypogynous, persistent ; filaments slender ; anthers continuous with the filament, 
cuneate, with a thick connective and 2 lateral lobes bursting longitudinally. Ovaries 4, 
each distinct, with 1 ascending ovule and a sessile recurved stigma, or connate into a 3- or 
4- celled pistil, with a few ovules ascending from the edge of the projecting semi- dissepi- 
ments. Fruit either consisting of 4 fleshy indehiscent nuts, or a 3- or 4-celled capsule, 
opening at the apex and containing a few ascending seeds. Seeds with a membranous inte- 
gument ; emhi'yo minute, lying in a fleshy lenticular sac, which is seated on the outside of 
hard mealy albumen at the end most remote from the hilum. — Herbaceous plants, growing 
in marshy places, or floating in water. Leaves alternate, with stipules. Hairs jointed. 
Flowers growing in spikes. 
Affinities. Very near Piperacese, with which they agree in habit, but 
from which they differ in the compound nature of their ovary, and their nu- 
merous stamens. From repeated examination of the embryo of Saururus, I 
have no doubt whatever that the embryo has no kind of vascular connexion 
with the sac that contains it ; and hence I adopt, the opinion of Browm, that 
-this sac is in reality nothing but the remains of the amnios surrounding the 
embryo. For the opinions of Mirbel and Richard upon this subject, sec the 
