3-lobed, 1-celled, many-seeded, with 3 parietal placenta. Fruit opening at the apex. Embryo incurved.

USES.-Mignionette, so well known for its fragrance, is Reseda odorata. R. luteola yields a yellow dye.

TYPICAL GENERA.-Reseda, Ochradenus.

16.-Flacourtiacea. Shrubs or trees. Leaves alternate, without stipules. Sepals from 4-7. Petals equal to them in number. Stamens occasionally changed into nectariferous scales. Ovary roundish; stigmas several, more or less distinct. Fruit 1-celled, capsular or fleshy, the centre filled with a thin pulp. Seeds few, attached to the lining of the fruit in a branched manner. Embryo in albumen.

USES.-The fruit of some eatable and pleasant in India.
TYPICAL GENERA.-Flacourtia, Roumea.

17.-Bixacea. Trees or shrubs. Leaves alternate, with deciduous stipules and pellucid dots. Sepals 4-7, imbricated. Petals of a like number. Stamens indefinite, distinct. Ovary sessile; placentæ 4-7, parietal; styles 1-2-4. Fruit 1-celled, fleshy or capsular, many-seeded. Seeds enveloped in pulp. Albumen hardly present.

USES. The seeds of Bixa Orellana are covered with a pulp, which, when dry, is the Arnotta of shops, used for colouring cheese. Otherwise the properties uncertain.

TYPICAL GENERA.-Bixa, Prockia, Azara.

18.-Cistacea. Shrubs or herbaceous plants. Leaves usually entire, stipulate or exstipulate. Sepals 3 or 5, persistent, unequal, in a broken whorl, the three inner twisted. Petals 5, often crumpled, twisted in a direction contrary to that of the sepals. Stamens indefinite. Ovary 1- or manycelled; ovules with their foramen at their apex; style single; stigma simple. Fruit either 1-celled with parietal placenta, or imperfectly 5- or 10-celled. Seeds indefinite. Embryo inverted, either spiral or curved, in the midst of mealy albumen. Radicle remote from the hilum.

USES.-Unimportant. The balsamic Gum Ladanum is a spontaneous secretion from Cistus Creticus and others. Many are beautiful garden plants, with large delicate flowers. TYPICAL GENERA.-Cistus, Helianthemum.

Cistus Berthelotianus. 1. A calyx and pistil, the petals and stamens having fallen off. 2. A cross section of the ovary. 3. A vertical section of ovary and calyx. 4. A seed cut through; the pointed end being the true apex.

19.-Droseracea. Herbaceous plants, often covered with glands. Leaves with stipulary fringes and a circinate vernation. Peduncles circinate. Sepals imbricate. Petals 5, hypogynous. Stamens distinct, either equal in number to the petals, or 2, 3, or 4 times as many. Styles 3-5. Capsule of 3-5 valves. Embryo in fleshy or cartilaginous albumen.

USES.-The herbage of some Droseras is acrid. The bulbs of others abound in a rich purple dye, and are filled with starch, which renders them eatable. It is probable that many species would prove of value to dyers.

TYPICAL GENERA.-Drosera, Dionæa.

20.-Tamaricacea. Shrubs or herbs, with rod-like branches. Leaves alternate, resembling scales. Calyx 4- or 5-parted, persistent. Petals withering. Stamens definite, distinct, or monadelphous. Stigmas 3. Capsule 3-valved, 1-celled, manyseeded. Seeds ascending, comose; embryo straight.

USES.-Ornamental bushes or trees. A sweet substance resembling Manna oozes out of the stem of Tamarix Gallica, in hot, dry countries. The bark is bitter, astringent, and tonic. A very astringent gall, employed in medicine and dyeing, in India, is yielded by some oriental species.

TYPICAL GENERA.-Tamarix, Myricaria.

21.- Violacea. Herbaceous plants, or shrubs, or trees. Leaves stipulate, with an involute vernation. Sepals 5, persistent, imbricate, Petals 5, regular or irregular, one sometimes spurred. Stamens definite in number; filaments dilated; connective elongated beyond the anthers. Ovary 1-celled, with 3 parietal placenta; style with a hooded stigma. Capsule of 3 valves, bearing the placenta in their axis. Embryo large, straight, in fleshy albumen.

USES.-Roots emetic. Those of the common Sweet Violet and other species have been employed medicinally. Ionidium Poaya yields one sort of Brazilian Ipecacuanha. Viola canina and some others have the power of removing some cutaneous affections, and have been employed as cosmetics.

TYPICAL GENERA.-Viola, Alsodeia.

Corynostylis Hybanthus. 1. A set of stamens, each having the connective lengthened beyond the anther in the form of a scale. 2. A spurred petal. 3. A transverse section of an ovary, showing the three parietal placenta. 4. A ripe fruit. 5. An embryo.

22.-Polygalacea. Shrubs or herbaceous plants. Leaves alternate, destitute of stipules. Pedicels with three bracts. Flowers unsymmetrical. Sepals 5, very irregular, often glumaceous. Petals consolidated, hypogynous, usually 3, of which 1 is anterior and larger than the rest. Stamens usually in a tube; anthers innate, 1-celled, and opening at their apex.

Ovary with 2 or 3 cells; ovules solitary, pendulous. Seeds pendulous, with a caruncula next the hilum; albumen abundant.

USES.-Leaves bitter, root milky. Polygala Senega, the Rattlesnake root, is stimulant, diaphoretic, emetic, and emmenagogue; it has been employed successfully in croup. Many other species have similar properties. Polygala Poaya is one of the Brazilian emetics. The bark of Monnina polystachya, a Peruvian plant, is detersive, and used as a substitute for

soap.

TYPICAL GENERA.-Polygala, Muraltia, Mundia.

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Polygala erioptera. 1. An entire flower seen from the side. 2. The same cut open to exhibit the stamens. 3. The pistil. 4. A section of a ripe seed; in the middle is the embryo; at the apex, which represents the real base, is seen a caruncula.

23.-Frankeniacea. Herbaceous plants or under-shrubs. Stems much branched. Leaves small, opposite, exstipulate, with a membranous sheathing base. Sepals 4-5, in a furrowed tube. Petals hypogynous, unguiculate, with appendages at the base of the limb. Stamens definite. Style 2- or 3-fid. Capsule 1-celled, enclosed in the calyx, 2- 3- or 4-valved, manyseeded. Seeds attached to the margins of the valves, very minute; embryo in the midst of albumen.

USES.-Unknown.

TYPICAL GENUS.-Frankenia.

24.-Elatinacea. Little weedy annuals.

Leaves oppo

site, with stipules. Flowers minute. Sepals 3-5. Petals hypogynous. Stamens definite. Ovary 3-5-celled; styles. 3-5; stigmas capitate. Fruit capsular. Fruit capsular. Seeds numerous,

embryo straight, with but little albumen.

USES.-Unknown.

TYPICAL GENERA.-Elatine, Bergia.

25.-Caryophyllacea.

Herbaceous plants with opposite undivided exstipulate leaves, and tumid nodes. Sepals 4-5. Petals often slit. Stamens definite. Ovary usually manyseeded, with a free central placenta. Stigmas sessile, 2-5. Capsule 2-5-valved. Seeds usually with the embryo curved round mealy albumen.

USES.-Unimportant.

Some species bear gay flowers; more are weeds; a few are fragrant, as the Pink. Silene Virginica is said to have an anthelmintic root.

There are two sections of this order:

§1. Alsinea. Sepals disjoined.
TYPICAL GENERA.-Stellaria, Cerastium.
§2. Silenea. Sepals united into a tube.
TYPICAL GENERA.-Lychnis, Silene, Dianthus.

1. Lychnis diurna, § Silenea. 2. A flower of Stellaria Its stamens and pistil. 4. Its placenta loaded with seeds. vertically, to show the embryo curved round mealy albumen.

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media, § Alsineæ. 3. 5. A seed cut through