174 



FAMILIES or FLO WEEING PLANTS 



£.N\f 



Fig. 153, Flower of Ouratea spectab- 

 ilis and fruit of O. elegans. Redrawn 

 from Engler. 



produce valuable timber, and maii}^ of them, as Dillenia speciosa, have 

 handsome flowers, rendering them desirable for greenhouse cultivation 

 (see Fig. 152). 



Family Eucryphiaceae, Eucryphia Family. Consists of a single 

 genus, Eucryphia, which presents rather anomalous characters, and has 

 been placed by some authors in the Rose Family, and by others with 

 the St. Johnsworts. There are four si^ecies, two in Chile and two in 



southern Australia and Tasmania; and 

 oddly enough, one species in each of 

 these pairs has pinnate leaves, the other 

 simple entire leaves. All are trees or 

 tall shrubs, having showy solitary flow- 

 ers with four or five sepals, four or five 

 petals, and innumerable stamens; the 

 ovary is 5-12-celled, becoming in fruit a 

 woody capsule containing wdnged seeds. One of the Tasmanian spe- 

 cies, E. BiUardieri, is a most beautiful forest tree, attaining lofty pro- 

 portions, and at certain seasons is covered with large white flowers. 



Family Ochnaceae. Ochna Family. Includes 17 genera and over 

 200 species, trees or shrubs of exclusively tropical distribution. Their 

 bark contains a yellow coloring 

 matter, and is also very astrin- 

 gent, in consequence of which 

 several species furnish tonics. 

 The flowers are generality large 

 and conspicuous, having the 

 parts in fives, and the stamens 

 often turned to one side; the 

 carpels of the ovarj^ are situated 

 upon an enlarged base or recep- 

 tacle, which becomes fleshy in 

 fruit, like that of the strawberry. 

 The largest genus is Ouratea, 

 chiefly of West Indian distribu- 

 tion, some species of which are 

 used as greenhouse plants (see 

 Fig 153). 



Family Caryocaraceae. Souari-nut family. Consists of two gen- 

 era, Caryocar and AnthocUscus, the former with 10, the latter with 3 

 species, all South American trees. The Souari-nut, Caryocar nuciferum, 

 may be taken as typical of the genus; it is a lofty forest tree with very 

 durable timber, largely emi)loyed in ship-building. The leaves are 

 compound, having three leaflets; the flowers are of large size, with five 



Fig. 154. Flo-weringhranch of Caryocar g^abrum, 

 and fruit, partly sectioned, of C, ytuciferuyn, both 

 greatly reduced. Redrawn from Engler. 



