The _Alsodeia_-group has regular or almost regular flowers.
Gamopetalous corollas are found in _Paypayroleæ_. _Sauvagesieæ_
differs the most by its regular corolla, and 5–∞ free or united
staminodes.
250 species; especially in the Tropics.--The _Ionidium_-species
are used as ipecacuanha. A number of _Viola_-species are
cultivated as garden plants, especially _V. odorata_
(sweet-scented Violet) and _V. tricolor_, which have a large
number of varieties.
Order 6. =Frankeniaceæ.= A small order with doubtful
relationships. Perennial herbs or shrubs; beach plants with
nodose stem. Sepals united, petals free. Unilocular ovary,
with 3–4 parietal placentæ. Fruit a capsule. Embryo straight,
endospermous. Especially in S. Europe, Africa, on the shores of
the Mediterranean and Atlantic.
Order 7. =Tamaricaceæ (Tamarisks).= To this order belong only
_Tamarix_ and _Myricaria_. They are shrubs of a cypress- or
heather-like appearance, as the scattered leaves are very small,
sessile, scale-like or linear, adpressed, entire, and usually
glaucous, and the branches are slender and whip-like. The
flowers are borne in small spikes or racemes, and are small,
reddish or whitish, regular, ☿, hypogynous and polypetalous;
formula S5, P5, A5 + 0 (_Tamarix_, which often has stipular
teeth at the base of the filaments), or A5 + 5 (_Myricaria_,
in which the stamens are united at the base); the number 4 may
appear instead of 5, but in either case there is usually a
tricarpellate gynœceum, which is _unilocular_ and has either
parietal placentæ (_Myricaria_) or a small basal placenta
(_Tamarix_); 1 trifid style, or 3 styles. Capsule dehiscing
along the dorsal suture, and resembling the Willows in having a
unilocular ovary with numerous _woolly_ seeds; but the seed-wool
in this case is borne on the chalaza, and may be attached to a
long stalk.--Some _Tamarix_-species shed part of their branches
in the winter.--40 species; North Temperate, on the sea-shores
or steppes, especially in Asia. Ornamental shrubs: _Myricaria
germanica_, and _Tamarix gallica_.
Order 8. =Cistaceæ.= Shrubs or herbs, natives especially of the
Mediterranean region. Flowers generally in raceme-like scorpioid
cymes, regular, ☿, hypogynous; sepals 5, free, _twisted_ in the bud,
of which the two outer are generally much smaller than the others;
petals 5, free, _twisted_ in the bud (in the direction _opposite_
to the sepals), fugacious; stamens _numerous_; gynœceum syncarpous,
carpels usually 3–5, style simple, ovary unilocular, with parietal
placentation (seldom divided into loculi, with axile placentation). The
ovules are _orthotropous_ in opposition to some of the other orders
of this family. The capsule dehisces along the dorsal sutures; embyro
_curved_. The leaves are simple, undivided, generally opposite and
stipulate.--~They are Violaceæ with regular flowers, numerous stamens,
and curved embryo. The numerous stamens are in reality only one or two
5-merous whorls, divided into a large number of stamens; these are
formed, therefore, in descending order, like the lobes of many compound
foliage-leaves.~
_Helianthemum_ (Rock-Rose), has 3 carpels.--_Cistus_ has 5 (-10)
carpels.
About 70 species; temperate climates, especially about the
Mediterranean. The resin of the _Cistus_-species has been used
medicinally (ladanum).
Order 9. =Bixaceæ.= This order is closely allied to the Cistaceæ
and Ternstrœmiaceæ; like these it has regular, 5-merous,
hypogynous flowers with numerous stamens, unilocular ovary and
_parietal_ placentæ; sometimes unisexual flowers; it differs in
having anatropous ovules, in the æstivation of the sepals, etc.
All species (about 180) are trees or shrubs, with scattered,
simple leaves, which usually have stipules, and are occasionally
dotted with pellucid oil-glands.--_Bixa orellana_ (Trop. Am.)
is the best known species; it has a 2-valved capsule; the seeds
are enclosed in a shiny _red, fleshy testa_, which contains the
well-known orange or yellow dye, annatto.
Order 10. =Dilleniaceæ.= Gynœceum usually apocarpous, seed
arillate. The flower has most frequently S5, P5, and compound
stamens (one or more bundles); sometimes irregular. 200 species;
Tropical; woody plants, many lianes.--_Dillenia_, _Candollea_,
_Pleurandra_, _Davilla_, etc.
Order 11. =Elatinaceæ= (=Water-worts=). About 25 species belong
to this order; especially in temperate climates. They are small,
creeping, rooted, aquatic plants, with opposite or verticillate
leaves and _stipules_. The flowers are solitary or situated in
small dichasia in the leaf-axils, they are small, regular, ☿,
hypogynous, with free petals, the same number in all 5 whorls
(Sn, Pn, An + n, Gn), 3-merous (_e.g. Elatine hexandra_),
4-merous (_e.g. E. hydropiper_), or 5-merous (_Bergia_); the
corolla-stamens are sometimes suppressed; petals imbricate
without being twisted; the ovary is 3–4–5-locular, with 3–4–5
_free styles_; the capsule dehisces septicidally. The seeds are
orthotropous or curved, often transversely ribbed, endosperm
wanting. The order is most nearly allied to Hypericaceæ, whose
primitive form it appears to represent.
[Illustration: FIG. 426.--Diagram of _Hypericum quadrangulum_:
_S_ indicates the bud of the helicoid cyme in the axil of the
bracteole β.]
[Illustration: FIG. 427.--_Hypericum._ Flower with three bundles
of stamens.]
Order 12. =Hypericaceæ= (=St. John’s-worts=). This order is recognised
by its always _opposite_ or _verticillate_, _simple_, and entire,
penninerved leaves, without stipules, and usually dotted with
_pellucid_ glands; by the always ☿, regular, hypogynous flowers in a
cymose inflorescence; the generally 5-merous calyx and corolla, with
sepals and petals free; the stamens 3–5, numerously branched (Figs.
426, 427); and the gynœceum, 3–5-carpellate, styles usually _free_. The
ovary is 3–5-locular, or unilocular with 3–5 parietal placentæ. Fruit a
capsule (dehiscing septicidally) or berry. Endosperm absent.
The inflorescence is a _dichasium_ or _helicoid cyme_. The
structure of the flowers is the same as that of the foregoing
orders: S5, P5; succeeding these in some cases are two 5-merous
whorls of stamens in regular alternation, of which the inner
is epipetalous; but the outer whorl is only represented by 5
small scales (Fig. 427), or is altogether absent (_Hypericum
calycinum_, _H. hircinum_), and the inner divided into numerous
stamens, that is, these 5 stamens are so deeply divided that
5 _epipetalous_ groups bearing anthers are found (as in the
Cistaceæ); in other cases the flower becomes _3-merous after
the petals_, stamens 3 + 3 following in regular alternation
(Figs. 426, 427), the outer whorl of stamens in these cases is
also present as staminodes (Fig. 427), or may be altogether
suppressed. Carpels 3–5. _The petals are often twisted_ in the
bud, and are then oblique.
_Hypericum._ Some species have a square stem; in these cases the
leaves are placed opposite the edges. Fruit a capsule.--_Vismia_ has
a berry.--~The flowers of _Hypericum_ have no honey, and supply only
pollen; self-pollination often takes place.~
About 240 species; the tropical ones being often shrubs or
trees; the others generally perennial shrubs.--_Hypericum_,
St. John’s-wort, contains a resinous, red matter, which can be
extracted with alcohol. The American gamboge is the dried sap of
species of _Vismia_.
Order 13. =Guttiferæ=, or =Clusiaceæ=. Closely allied to the
Hypericaceæ and Ternstrœmiaceæ. Leaves opposite or verticillate.
The flowers are often unisexual; stamens united; the gynœceum
has most frequently a sessile, radiating or shield-like stigma.
370 species; chiefly in the Tropics (Am.). They are principally
woody plants and their bark contains a yellow gum resin,
“gamboge,” which is extracted from _Garcinia morella_ (E. Ind.)
and others. Mangosteen (_Garcinia mangostana_ S.E. Asia), and
_Mammea americana_ (W. Ind.), have very delicious fruits.
To this order also belong _Platonia insignis_, _Pentadesma
butyracea_ (the Butter-tree), _Clusia_, _Calophyllum_, _Cataba_,
etc.
Order 14. =Ternstrœmiaceæ.= Trees and shrubs with scattered, simple,
and often more or less leathery, evergreen, penninerved leaves, without
stipules (Fig. 428). The two most important genera are: _Camellia_
and the closely allied _Thea_ (by some authorities these are united
into one genus). The flowers are regular, hypogynous, and situated
singly on very short stalks. A number of green floral-leaves are placed
below the calyx and gradually pass over into the sepals, and the
leaves (5–6) of the calyx again gradually pass over into the corolla
(this being especially marked in _Camellia_), of which the number of
leaves varies (5, 6, 7 and upwards); the calyx and the corolla are
_acyclic_ or _eucyclic_; the petals are slightly united at the base;
stamens _numerous_ in many whorls, the external ones are arranged in
bundles and united with the petals as in the Columniferæ; gynœceum
syncarpous; styles often _free_ nearly to the base; ovary 3–5-locular,
ovules numerous in each loculus. The fruit is a woody capsule.--~Other
genera show more distinctly than these the same structure as in the
preceding orders, namely: S5, P5, A5 + 5, of which the calyx-stamens
are often suppressed, and the petal-stamens divided into numerous
stamens.--_Kielmeyera_ (S. Am.)~
260 species; especially in the Tropics (E. Asia, Am.) The
leaves of _Thea chinensis_ (or _Camellia thea_), the Tea-tree
(E. Asia), are cultivated for the well-known “tea,” and contain
theine: the best are the young, still hairy leaves, of greyish
colour; there are many varieties. Ornamental plants, _Camellia
japonica_ and _Actinidia_.
[Illustration: FIG. 428.--_Thea chinensis_ (reduced).]
Closely allied to this order are: Order 15. =Rhizoboleæ= (with
enormously large hypocotyl--hence the name), and Order 16.
=Marcgraviaceæ= (partly epiphytes, with dimorphic leaves and
cup- or helmet-like, coloured, honey-secreting floral-leaves,
which serve to attract insects).
Order 17. =Dipterocarpaceæ.= This order has taken its name from
the large wings attached to the fruits in _Dipterocarpus_ (the
wings being largely developed sepals); trees and shrubs from
Trop. Asia. 180 species. Camphor ready prepared is found in the
stem of _Dryobalanops camphora_. _Hopea_; _Vateria_.