Herbs or shrubs or trees, of very diversified habit and foliage. Leaves alternate or opposite, entire or toothed or more rarely divided; stipules present. Flowers unisexual, small and incon-page 631spicuous, cymose or fascicled or capitate, rarely solitary, sometimes crowded on a variously shaped receptacle with or without an involucre. Perianth simple, herbaceous, of 1–5 equal or unequal lobes or segments, imbricate or valvate in bud, in the female flowers often smaller and with fewer segments, rarely absent. Stamens generally the same number as the divisions of the perianth and opposite to them; filaments short and erect, or longer and then inflexed in bud, sometimes elastic; anthers 2-celled, dehiscing lengthwise. Ovary superior, or rarely more or less inferior, 1-celled; style terminal or lateral, simple or 2-partite with stigmatose branches, or reduced to a sessile fringed or plumose stigma; ovule solitary. Fruit simple, a small drupe or berry or achene, or (in genera not found in New Zealand) compound and composed of a confluent mass of the fruits and perianths of several or many flowers. Seed erect or pendulous; albumen present or more generally wanting; embryo straight or curved, radicle superior.

In the circumscription of this order I have followed the "Genera Plan-tarum," but by many authors it is split up into 3 or 4, only 2 of which, however, are represented in New Zealand. Taken in the broad sense, it is a most important and widely spread family, found in all parts of the world, but most abundant in warm or tropical regions. The genera are over 100, and the species may be fairly estimated at 1500. It includes a large number of useful plants, only a few of which can be mentioned here. Of edible species, the fig, mulberry, and bread-fruit are the most important. Of fibre-plants, the common hemp, the paper-mulberry, and the rhea (Bœhmeria nivea). Several species of Ficus, and notably F. elastica, yield indiarubber. Ficus indica is the well-known banyan. The upas-tree (Antiaris toxicaria) is highly poisonous. Of the 6 indigenous genera, Urtica and Parietaria are widely spread in most temperate and tropical climates; Elatostema and Bcehmeria are mainly tropical; Paratrophis extends to the Pacific islands and Malay Archipelago; while Australina is found in Australia and South Africa.

* Trees with milky sap. Flowers spiked. Fruit drupaceous; ovule pendulous	1. Paratrophis.
** Sap watery. Flowers solitary or glomerate or cymose. Ovule erect.
Herbs with stinging hairs. Leaves opposite. Female perianth 4-partite	2. Urtica.
Herbs. Leaves alternate. Flowers crowded on a fleshy discoid receptacle	3. Elatostema.
Trees. Leaves 3-nerved. Female perianth tubular, enclosing the fruit	4. Bcehmeria.
Herbs, without stinging hairs. Leaves alternate. Flowers in involucrate clusters. Female perianth tubular. Stigma tufted	5. Parietaria.
Herbs, without stinging hairs. Leaves alternate. Flowers not involucrate. Female perianth tubular. Stigma linear	6. Australina.