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Manual of the New Zealand Flora.

[Introduction to Order XXIV. SaxifrageÆ.]

Trees, shrubs, or herbs. Leaves alternate or opposite, simple or compound, stipulate or exstipulate. Flowers usually regular and hermaphrodite. Calyx free or adnate to the ovary, lobes 4–5, imbricate or valvate. Petals 4–5, rarely wanting, imbricate or valvate. Stamens as many or twice as many as the petals, rarely more, perigynous or epigynous, very rarely hypogynous. Disc usually present between the stamens and the ovary, very various in shape. Ovary free or more or less adnate to the calyx-tube, usually 2–5-celled with 2–5 axile or parietal placentas; styles as many as the cells, free or more or less united; ovules numerous, anatropous, erect or pendulous. Fruit usually capsular, more rarely succulent and indehiscent. Seeds usually small, numerous; albumen generally copious, rarely absent; embryo terete, usually small.

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A large and. polymorphous order, very difficult to define. The herbaceous genera are mainly found in the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, or on the mountains of the tropics; the arborescent ones have their headquarters in South America or Australia, with a few outlying species in Africa or Asia. Genera about 75; species under 600. The properties of the order are unimportant. Of the 6 genera found in New Zealand, Carpodetus and Ixerba are monotypic and endemic; Ackama and Quintinia extend to Australia; Donatia, has one species in New Zealand and Tasmania, and another in Fuegia; while Weinmannia has a wide distribution in warm climates.

* Herbs, forming compact patches. Leaves densely imbricate. Flowers solitary, sessile.

Flowers white, ⅓ in. diam. Calyx-lobes and petals 5.
Stamens 2. Ovary inferior, 2–3-celled 1. Donatia.
** Trees. Leaves alternate, simple, exstipulate. Stamens usually as many as the petals.
Flowers racemose, small. Petals imbricate. Ovary inferior 2. Quintinia.
Flowers panicled, large. Petals imbricate. Ovary superior 3. Ixerba.
Flowers panicled, small. Petals valvate. Ovary inferior 4. Carpodetus.
*** Trees. Leaves opposite, stipulate. Stamens usually twice as many as the petals.
Flowers panicled. Calyx valvate 5. Ackama.
Flowers racemose. Calyx imbricate 6. Weinmannia.