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. |
1. DONATIA, Forst.
Small densely tufted herbs, forming hard compact masses. Leaves densely imbricated, linear, coriaceous, quite entire. Flowers terminal, solitary, sessile, white. Calyx-tube adnatae to the ovary, obconic; lobes 5–7, equal or unequal. Petals 5–10, linear or ovate. Stamens 2 or 3, inserted on the middle of an epigynous disc, and adnate to the base of the styles; filaments subulate or filiform; anthers didymous, extrorse. Ovary inferior, 2- or 3-celled; styles 2 or 3, short and thick or subulate, recurved; stigmas simple or capitellate; ovules numerous, affixed to placentas which are pendulous from the inner angle of the cells. Capsule turbinate, indehiscent, 2- or 3-celled. Seeds few in each cell, pendulous, obliquely ovoid; testa membranous; albumen fleshy; embryo small, remote from the hilum.
A genus of two species, one found in New Zealand and Tasmania, the other a native of Fuegia. Its exact systematic position is very doubtful; it was referred to Saxifrageæ by Hooker, who, however, also pointed out its affinity with the Stylidieæ, with which it agrees in the stamens being placed on the centre of an epigynous disc, in the extrorse anthers, and in the placentation. It was removed to that order by the late Baron Mueller ("Nuovo Giornale Botanico Italiano," xi., July, 1879). On the other hand, both Baillon and Engler retain it among the Saxifrages, the latter ("Naturlichen Pflanzenfamilien," Teil iii. Abt. ii.a, p. 67) constituting it a new subsection of the order.
1. D. novæ-zealandiæ, Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 81, t. 20.—Stems short, 1–3 in. high, densely tufted, forming broad compact masses in mountain-bogs. Leaves very numerous, imbricated in many series and clothing the entire stem and branches, erect,
