200. THALAMIFLOIliE. 



ORDER LIII. OCHNACE^. 



Calycine sep'als 5, persistent, imbricated during 

 agstivation. Petals hypogynous, in number 5, alter- 

 nating with the sepals, or 10, caducous, patulous, 

 imbricated during aestivation. Stamens 5, alternating 

 with the petals, or 10, or indefinite, inserted on a 

 hypogynous disk : filaments generally persistent : an- 

 thers 2-celled, innate, opening by pores. Carpels 

 equal in number to the petals, placed on an enlarged 

 tumid fleshy disk (called the gijnobase) : styles com- 

 bined in one : ovules erect. Fruit of as many pieces 

 as there were carj^els, indehiscent, somewhat drupa- 

 ceous, 1 -seeded, articulated on the gynobase, which 

 grows with their growth. Seeds exalbuminous : em- 

 bryo straight : radicle short : cotyledons thick. 



Tropical trees or shrubs, having a watery juice ; leaves alter- 

 nate, simple, with two stipules at the base; flowers usually in 

 racemes, with the pedicels articulated at the middle or below it. 

 They are possessed of no known remarkable properties. 



I. GOMPHIA. 



Petals 5. Stamens 10 ; anthers subsessile, long, 

 pyramidal, erect, dehiscent at the apex by means of a 

 double pore. Locules of the pericarp 5. 



Racemes from the ends of the branchlets bearing- the leaves. 

 Name, from yo/jyfiog molar tooth, from yo/Mfoc a nail, because the 

 molar teeth are inserted into their sockets like nails, and the 

 drupes in the present genus are placed on the gynobase in a 

 similar manner. 



I. Gomphia laurifolia. Laurel-leavsd Gomphia. 



Leaves oblon"; acuminate at both ends with the 

 apex obtuse very entire shining obscurely nerved. 



Swartz, Fl. Lid. Occ. 741. — De Cmid. Ann. du Museum, 

 XVII. 419. t. 15. 



HAB. Near Bridgeliill ; and road from Blackgrove to Pleas- 

 ant-Hill, St. Andrew's. 



FIj. January. 



