Celastrus. | CELASTRINE# (Sond.) 451 
OrpDER XLIII. CELASTRINEZ, R. Br. 
(By W. SonpEr.) 
(Celastrinexe, R. Br. in Flinders—DC. Prod. vol. 2. p. 2. Endl. Gen. 
No, cexxxvi. Celastraces, Lindl. Veg. Kingd. No. CCXXY.) 
Flowers mostly complete, regular. Calyx 4-5-lobed or parted, persis- 
tent, with imbricate estivation. Petals 4-5, inserted under the margin 
of a fleshy, 4-5 crenate disc that clothes the bottom of the calyx, ses- 
sile, flat, patent, deciduous, imbricate in estivation. Stamens 4- 5 
alternate with the petals and inserted into or under the margin of the 
disc ; filaments subulate ; anthers introrse, 2-celled, short. Ovary more 
or less sunk in the disc, free, or slightly adnate at base, 2-3-5-celled ; 
ovules solitary or in pairs, or several, collateral, erect or pendulous ; 
style short, thick ; stigma lobed. Fruit 2-5 celled, either a dehiscent 
capsule or an indehiscent drupe, or a samara. Seeds fewer than the 
ovules, mostly with a fleshy or membranous arillus, albuminous (rarely 
exalbuminous); embryo straight, with flat cotyledons and a radicle 
next the hilum. ; 
Trees or shrubs, erect or climbing, often spiniferous. Leaves opposite or alternate, 
simple, entire or toothed, coriaceous, penninerved, often glaucous and mostly gla- 
brous. Flowers small or minute, white or greenish, in axillary cymes or panicles. 
Aril of the seeds often bright réd or orange. Natives of the warmer parts of Europe, 
N. America, and Asia, with outliers in temperate S. America and in Australia ; 
numerous in Southern Africa. None are remarkably useful. The fruit of the dru- 
paceous genera is sometimes edible. 
TABLE OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN GENERA. 
Tribe I. Evonynm. Fruit capsular, loculicidally dehiscent. ~ 
S24 _T. Celastrus, eaves alternate. Valves of the capst 
simple. Ps 
[=o _IT. Pterocelastrus. Leaves alternate. Valves of the capsule dorsally winged. — 
>! TIT. Methyscophyllum. Leaves opposite. Disc hypogynous. 
Tribe IT. Exzopenpre&.. Fruit fleshy, indehiscent. ee 
B.n4 * Seeds exalbuminous. ; ess 
Pat | IV. Hartogia. Leaves opposite. Disc hypogynous. Ovary 2-celled. Seeds 
exarillate. ° ; ~ 
: ** Seeds albuminous. Ovules pendulous. ; 
[sl V. Maurocenia, Leaves opposite. Disc hypogynous. Ovary 3-celled. Seeds 
, ‘ ill t ~ 
* 
*** Seeds albuminous. Ovules erect. 
2 VI. sald ppeileny ibe . Flowers 4-5 parted, corymbulose. Drupe juicy 
“wi in, crust-like putamen. 
TLVEn, Meoisatsen’: Ine opposite, or the upper alternate. 17. 4-§ parted, 
- eorymboso-paniculate. Drupe rather ty, with a very hard ligneous 
OT VIII. Lonridia. " Leaves dippaiile: Flowers 4-parted, racemose. Drupe rather 
dry, with a crust-like putamen. - 29* 
