Nyctagineae
An order of herbs, rarely shrubs or trees, inhabiting tropical and warm regions, mostly America, rarely found in Australia, very rare in Africa. Flowers hermaphrodite, rarely unisexual, regular, frequently disposed in paniculate or corymbose terminal and axillary cymes, very rarely solitary or racemose, sometimes umbellulate or capitate, often with a calyciform involucre; perianth small or minute, or rarely rather large, obscure or coloured; stamens one to many, hypogynous. Fruit various. Leaves opposite and alternate, sessile or stalked, simple, entire, penniveined. The roots of this order are endowed with purgative or emetic qualities; that of Mirabilis Jalapa (false Jalap) has the nauseous smell of the true Jalap, with which it was long confounded. The order comprises twenty-three genera and about 215 species. Examples are: Abronia, Bougainvillea, Mirabilis, Nyctaginia.