Brexia. | XLIX, SAXIFRAGACEZ (OLIVER). 385 
ing upwards into the style, 5-celled, with indefinite ovules. “Fruit 
drupaceous, woody, 1-celled, many-seeded. Seeds with very thin 
albumen.”—Shrubs or small trees, wholly glabrous. Leaves alternate, 
coriaceous, entire or toothed. Flowers rather large, firm in texture, in 
pedunculate axillary umbellate cymes. 
A small genus confined to the Mascarene islands and Mozambique coast. 
1. B. madagascariensis, Bot. Feg. t. 730. (Var. mossambicensis). 
Shrub of 10-15 ft., wholly glabrous. Leaves coriaceous, shining, 
obovate, occasionally retuse, obscurely notched or subentire, rounded 
or broadly cuneate at base, 8-4} in. long, 2-24 in. broad; petiole 4 in. 
more or less, Peduncles axillary, the subtending leaf sometimes 
minute, at length spreading or decurved, compressed, often bearing a 
small coriaceous elliptical bract at the apex; flowers 1, 2, or few on 
pedicels of }-} in., 1 in. or more in diameter, greenish-white. Fruit 
oblong-ellipsoidal acuminate, nearly 3 in. long, 1} in. diameter (from 
drawing).— B. heterophylla, Noronh.; Tulasne in Ann. Sc. Nat. sér. iv. 
viii, 159 (which see for further synonymy). 
Mozamb. Distr. Amongst mangroves, Mouth of Zambesi, Dr. Kirk! 
Also at Delagoa Bay and in Madagascar. The Delagoa plant agrees well with the 
above, which differs from the usual Madagascar form in its broader leaves and few- 
flowered peduncles. It is a very variable species, especially in the form of the leaves, 
which are sometimes nearly 1 ft. long and not 14 in. broad, with coarsely spinulose- 
serrate leaves, 
Orver L. CRASSULACEZ. (By Mr. James Britten.) 
Flowers hermaphrodite, regular. Calyx persistent, free, 4—5- rarely 
6-partite, or 5- rarely 10-fid. Petals as many as the sepals, free or 
more or less connate, often persistent, erect or spreading or with the 
claw erect and the limb spreading, Stamens perigynous or scarcely 
hypogynous, equalling or doubling the petals in number, free, or adnate 
to the petals; filaments filiform or subulate; anthers linear oblong 
or didymous, dorsally affixed, dehiscing longitudinally. Scales hypo- 
gynous at the base of the carpels, oblong cuneate or linear, rarely 
longer than broad. Carpels as many as the petals, free or rarely more 
or less connate, unilocular; styles short or elongated, subulate or fili- 
form ; stigmas capitellate, truncate, often oblique. Ovules many, rarely 
solitary. Follicles membranaceous or coriaceous, many- or few-seeded, 
dehiscing by the ventral suture. Seeds usually minute, oblong; testa 
membranaceous or subcoriaceous; albumen fleshy. —Herbs or suttru- 
ticose, varying in habit, usually fleshy or succulent, rarely pubescent 
or pilose. Leaves alternate or opposite, sometimes connate, simple or 
rarely laciniate or imparipinnate. Flowers usually cymose, with or 
without bracts. 
An Order widely dispersed in temperate and subtropical regions, especially of the 
Old World. 
VOL. II. cc 
