Page:Illustrations of Indian Botany, Vol. 2.djvu/93

ILLUSTRATIONS OF INDIAN BOTANY.

43 in the usual acceptation of the term, but perigynous and the ovary free, as in all the other genera which I propose combining into this Curvembryose class, thus establishing the justice of my objection to its introduction intoLindley's epigyn^us group, while it shows that it might have been correctly admitted as a 5th alliance, into the gynobaseose group between Coriales and Flbrkeales. Surianeae placed by Lindley, in this group, next Coriarieae apparently belongs to my proposed class, though the albumen is sparing and less distinctly mealy than in the other orders of the class.

After the preceding extended discussion of the various relationships of the orders under examination, it seems unnecessary to dilate further on this head than merely to enumerate the orders which I propose combining to form this class ; these 1 shall quote from the list of orders above alluded to in Lindley's first edition, preserving the succession he has adopted (not being as yet prepared to offer an improved distribution), merely observing, that there may be some other orders to be added with which I am unacquainted. They are, Caryo- phylleae — Portulaceae — Ficoidene — lllecebreae — Amarantaceae — Sclerantheae — Chenopodeae — Phytolaceae — Petiveraceae — Polygoneae—JYyctageneae —and 1 Surianeae. This list of orders, in all of which mealy albumen with an exterior embryo is found, sufficiently attest the value of this structural peculiarity as an ordinal character and it seems not improbable that, when the idea is extensively followed out, other groups of equal value may be thus formed: Cruciferae and Caparideae for example may form the basis of such another — -Leguminosae and Rosaceae of a third Euphorbiaceae, Urliceae, &c. of a fourth Rubiaceae and Myrsineae of a fifth and perhaps many more. These suggestions are thrown out, nearly at random, as hints, to which, at the present moment, I attach little importance, though others, having a more extensive knowledge of plants, may be able to turn them to good account.

On this head I have but little to say, every part of the world seems to possess plants referable to this group, usually frequenting arid, sandy, exposed soils. In India, neither the genera nor species are numerous, but several of those that are met with are very common. Portulaca quadrifida is met with every where; the species of Trianthema are about equally abundant, especially T. obcordata which is a troublesome weed in almost every garden. The other species are also common, especially T. decandra, which is nearly as common as T. obcordata. Talinum is more rare, seeking a rich rather moist soil insubalpine jungles. Polycarpeae are common on hard red soils ; Hapolosea like Mollugo and Giinus prefer cultivated ground, Drimaria is usually met with climbing among bushes in alpine jungles and much resembles Holostium and some others of the chick weed family : Sesuvium is confined to saline soils near the coast, Orygia, our Glinus trianthimoides, is of more rare occurrence, usually met with in black soils, it is common in the ceded districts. At the Cape of Good Hope they abound, to that country Mesembryanthemum one of the largest known genera, is almost entirely confined, and species of nearly evary genus of all the orders named are also met with in that promontory, in common with all other kinds of succulent plants. As representatives of these orders are found every where it is unnecessary to be more particular.

On this head I have nothing to offer, Portulaca oleracea, as its name implies, is occasionally cultivated as a pot herb. The young leaves of Trianthema obcordata are sometimes similarly employed and, being mostly mild succulent plants, nearly all might be, they possess no medicinal properties.

While examining recent specimens of Trianthema obcordata and decandra, I detected two grave errors into which we fell in preparing our generic character of that genus. It is there said " capsule one-celled ( or with a, spurious longitudinal dissepiment projected from the placenta when the style is 2-partedJ splitting transversely, a little above the base." The words printed in italics is an error, for when the style is 2 partite there are really two carpels and 2 cells the partition between which can be split from the summit showing the cells perfect each of which is furnished with its own placenta. Again it is said " lid coriacious containing one or tvo seeds attached to an unilateral placenta, bottom membranaceous with one or more seeds attached to a unilateral placenta on the opposite side from