LORANTHACE. XIV. Scueprria. 
exquisitely fragrant, even after being dried, disposed in racemes, 
which are about half the length of the leaves. Ovarium sup- 
ported by a calyciform bractea like the rest of the species, which 
is divided into 2 or 3 unequal acute segments. Corolla rather 
fleshy ; tube nearly an inch long. Drupe pale yellow, almost 
white, about the size of an olive, 1-seeded from abortion. The 
perfume of the flowers is of a most delightful kind, and may be 
perceived on steeping them in warm water even long after they 
have been dried. 
Fragrant Schoepfia. Tree 10 to 15 feet. 
4 S. acuminata (Wall. cat. no. 486.) leaves ovate, acumi- 
nated, obtuse at the base; racemes axillary, many flowered ; 
tube of corolla terete: lobes bluntish. h.G. Native of Ni- 
paul, on the Pundua mountains. Flowers yellow ? 
Acuminated-leaved Schoepfia. Tree 10 to 12 feet. 
Cult. A mixture of loam, peat, and sand will suit these trees ; 
and young cuttings of them will be easily rooted if planted in 
sand, and placed under a hand-glass. 
XV. AU’CUBA (the Japanese name of the shrub). Thunb. 
fl. jap. p. 4. Lam. ill. t. 759. D. C. prod. 4. p. 274.—At- 
kuba, Koempf. amoen. 5. p. 775.—Eubasis, Salisb. prod. p. 68. 
Lin. syst. Dioécia, Tetréndria. Flowers dioecious. Calyx 
closely adhering, with the margin a little elevated and 4-toothed : 
teeth obtuse, very short. Petals 4, deciduous, alternating with 
the calycine teeth, inserted in the margin of the elevated flesh, 
4-angled disk ovate, acuminated, fleshy, with the margin trun- 
cate on one side, and minutely papillose on both surfaces, val- 
vate in estivation, induplicate at the apex. Stamens 4, opposite 
the petals? Ovarium cylindrical, adhering closely to the tube 
of the calyx, 1-celled, containing one ovulum. Style very short, 
thick, terete : stigma capitate, thick, fleshy, viscid, obsoletely 
2-lobed. Berry fleshy, 1-seeded, crowned by the permanent 
style. The rest unknown.—A small evergreen tree, native of 
Japan; branches dichotomous or verticillate in the manner of 
Loranthus and Viscum. Leaves opposite, petiolate, broad, ovate- 
lanceolate, acuminated, toothed, coriaceous, glabrous, shining, 
pale green, beautifully spotted with yellow, having the mid-rib 
rather prominent, the rest of the leaf reticulately veined. Pe- 
tioles cylindrical. Flowers small, panicled. Panicles many, 
spike-formed, pedunculate ; peduncles rather villous. Bracteas 
lanceolate, membranous, pale, caducous. Calyx beset with ad- 
pressed villi. Petals dark blood coloured. The buds are large, 
angular, imbricated from conduplicate stipulas; the leaves are 
large, toothed, and veiny, and the petioles are articulated with 
the branches and dilated at the base ; hence there is some ana- 
logy in the genus to Fráxinus. This genus was included by 
Jussieu in the order Rhdmni; but from its having no affinity 
whatever to either of the families into which that order has been 
since divided, its place in the natural system has remained unde- 
termined; and perhaps also from its want of novelty, the plant 
has been despised by botanists, and its characters and affinities 
consequently overlooked. Like the Salix Babylénica, or weep- 
Ing-willow, too, we possess only one sex of the tree in Europe, 
and that the female, which circumstance has likewise prevented 
its being accurately examined. The structure of the female 
flower agrees so exactly with that of Viscum, that, notwith- 
standing the different mode of growth of the two genera, and 
the absence of more accurate details respecting the male blos- 
soms, and the ripe fruit, its arrangement among the Loran- 
thacee appears fully justified. It will ultimately be found the 
connecting link between the Araliacee and the present family. 
1 A. Jarénica (Thunb. fl. jap. p. 64.) h. H. Native of 
Japan. Banks, icon. Koempf. t. 6. Thunb. icon. fl. jap. t. 12 
and 13. Sims, bot. mag. 1197. Eubasis dichétomus, Salisb. 
prod. p. 68. The Aúcuba isa well known laurel-like evergreen 
VOL. II, 
XV. Avcusa. CHLORANTHEZ. 433 
shrub, having the leaves mottled with yellow; but in Japan the 
leaves are said to be sometimes green by Thunberg. According 
to Koempfer, the fruit is a red oblong drupe, like a laurel-berry, 
with a white sweetish pulp, and a kernel with a bitter taste. 
The shrub is called in the gardens aucuba or spotted-leaved 
laurel. 
Japan Aucuba. FI. May, July. Cit. 1783. Shrub 6 to 
10 feet. 
Cult. This is a showy evergreen shrub, well adapted for 
shrubberies and small gardens. It is easily increased by cut- 
tings from the young wood planted in autumn under a hand- 
glass or by layers. ‘The shrub will grow in any soil. 
Orver CXXVIII. CHLORA’NTHEZ (plants agreeing with 
Chloránthus in particular characters). R. Br. in bot. mag. 2190. 
(1821) and in Parry, voy. 1824. Lindl. coll. bot. 17. (1821). 
Blum. fl. jav. (1829) vol. 1. 
Flowers disposed in spikes, hermaphrodite or unisexual ; with 
a supporting tridentate calyx. Stamens lateral; if more than 
one connate definite; anthers 2-4-celled, bursting lengthwise, 
each adnate to a fleshy connective, which coleres laterally in 
various degrees; filaments slightly adhering to the ovarium, 
which is 1-celled; stigma simple, sessile; ovulum pendu- 
lous. Fruit drupaceous, indehiscent. Seed pendulous. Em- 
bryo minute, placed at the apex of a fleshy albumen ; having 
the radicle inferior, and consequently remote from the hilum ; 
cotyledons divaricate.—Herbaceous plants or under shrubs, with 
an aromatic taste. Stems jointed, tumid under the articulations. 
Leaves opposite, simple, with sheathing petioles, and minute 
intervening stipulas. Flowers disposed in terminal loose slen- 
der spikes. 
This order is nearly allied to Loranthacee, from which it 
differs in the tridentate calyx, in the want of petals, in the 
fewer stamens, in the structure of the anthers, and in the inferior 
radicle, &c. It is said to be nearly allied to Sarùreæ and Pi- 
peracee, from both of which it differs in the want of a sack to 
the embryo, and in the pendulous ovulum, and opposite leaves 
with intermediate stipulas. The anthers consist of a fleshy 
mass, upon the face of which the cell lies that bears the pollen ; 
whether their anthers are 1 or 2-celled is a matter of doubt, one 
botanist considering those that have 2 cells to be double anthers, 
another understanding those with 1 cell to be half anthers. This 
order comes nearest in affinity to Rubiaceae, tribe Opercularinee. 
The whole plant of Chlordnthus officinalis has an aromatic 
fragrant smell, which is gradually dissipated in drying ; but its 
roots retain a fragrant camphorated smel], and an aromatic 
somewhat bitter flavour. They are found to possess very nearly 
the properties of Aristolochia serpentaria, and in a high degree. 
There seems to be no doubt but that it is a stimulant of the 
highest order. 
Synopsis of the genera. 
1 Curora’ntuus. Flowers hermaphrodite. Anther seated 
on the side of the ovarium, undivided and 2-celled, or trilobed 
and 4-celled. Ovarium 1-ovulate. Drupe 1-seeded. 
2 Ascartna. Spikes dioecious. Filament short; anther 
oblong, 4-furrowed, and probably 4-celled. Stigma 3-lobed. 
Drupe 1-seeded. 
3K 
