296 
Order CCXIX. CESTRACE^. 
SoLANACEiE, § Cestrinee, Schlecht. in Linncea. 7. 52. (1832). — Cestrin.®, Martins 
Conspectus, No. 121. (1835). 
I do not attempt to characterize this assemblage of plants, being uncertain 
what its real peculiarity is. According to Schlechtendalil it has all the cha- 
racters of Solanacese, except that the embryo is nearly straight, and the cotyle- 
dons foliaceous. To this, however, it is possible that the valvate aestivation of 
the coroUa ought to be added ; but I am by no means sure that the species of 
Periphragmos of the Flora Peruviana, with winged seeds, ought not to be in- 
eluded, although as they have an imbricated aestivation, and a tricarpellary 
fruit, they are placed in Polemoniaceae. These plants, which are very diffe- 
rent from most of Jussieu’s Cantuas, especially C. quercifolia, have much the 
habit of Lycium as well as Vestia. If they really do belong to Polemonia- 
ceae they must be considered a connecting link between that order and Ces- 
traceae. 
GENERA. 
Cestrum, L. Sessea, R. et P. 
Vestia, W. Fabiara, R. et P. (56) 
Alliance VI. GENTIANALES. 
Essential Character. — Flowers symmetrical, usually tetrandous or pentandrous. 
Carpels perpendicular to the axis of inflorescence (). Fruit either a dry capsule, or a berry, 
or a drupe, or composed of two diverging follicles. Seeds often winged or comose. Leaves 
almost always opposite. 
Order CCXX. GENTIANACE^. The Gentian Tribe. 
GENTiANEiE, Juss. Gen. 141. (1789) ; R. Brown Prodr. (1810); Lindl. Synops. 177. 
(1829) I Von Mavtius Nov. Gen. 8fc. 2. 132. (1828); Bartl. Ord. Nat. 199. (1830); 
Royle’s Illustrations, 276. (1835). 
Essential Character. — Calyx monophyllous, divided, inferior, persistent. Corolla 
monopetalous, hypogynous, usually regular, and persistent; the limb divided, equal, 
its lobes of the same number as those of the calyx, generally 5, sometimes 4, 6, 8, or 10 ; 
with an imbricated twdsted aestivation. Stamens inserted upon the corolla, all in the same 
line, equal in number to the segments, and alternate with them ; some of them occasionally 
abortive. Pollen 3-lobed or triple. Ovary single, 1- or 2-celled, many-seeded. Style 1, 
continuous ; stigmas 1 or 2. Capsule or berry many-seeded, with 1- or 2-cells, generally 
2-valved ; the margins of the valves turned inwards, and in the genera with 1 cell, bearing 
the seeds; in the 2-celled genera inserted into a central placenta. small; testa 
single ; embryo straight in the axis of soft fleshy albumen ; radicle next the hilum. — Her- 
baceous plants, seldom shrubs, generally smooth. Leases opposite, entire, without stipules, 
sessile, or having their petioles confluent in a little sheath, in most cases 3-5-ribbed ; very 
rarely browm and scale like ; sometimes alternate. Flowers terminal or axillary. 
Affinities. Very near Apocynacese, from which the order differs in the 
herbaceous habit, permanent coroUa, entire ovary, imbricated, not contorted, 
sestivation, want of milk, usually capsular fruit, and especially in the ribbed 
leaves which in by far the majority of cases afford a certain mark of recogni- 
tion ; to this may be added their bitterness. Brown remarks, that this order 
is better known by its habit than by any particular character ; being on the one 
hand, allied to Polemoniaceae and Scrophulariaceee, from the latter of which 
