202 CALYCIFLOKiE. 



CALYCIFLOR^. 



ORDER LV. CELASTRINE^, 



Calycine sepals 4-5, with an imbricated aestivation. 

 Petals of the same number as the sepals and alternate 

 with them ; very rarely none. Stamens of the same 

 number as, and opposite to the sepals. Ovary free, 

 surrounded by a subcarnose disk, S-S-'i-celled ; cells 

 1- co-seeded, with the ovules erect, rarely pendulous : 

 style 1 or none : stigmata 2-4-fid. Pericarp capsu- 

 lar, berried, drupaceous, or samaroid, frequently de- 

 formed by the abortion of the cells. Seeds, in many, 

 arillated: albumen O, or fleshy: embryo straight, 

 axile, dicotyledonous. 



Shrubs or trees ; leaves frequently stipulated, alternate or 

 opposite : flowers whitish or greenish. Scarcely any of the 

 species possess any remarkable properties. The leaves of Ilex 

 Paraguariensis are employed as a substitute for Tea, under 

 the name of Paraguay Tea. I may here state that the Myrti 

 folio arbor, foliis lads subrotimdis, Jlore alba race7noso, of Sloane, 

 II. 79. t. 193. f. 1, is Prunus Sph/erocarpa, and not Celas- 

 TRUS MYRTiFOLius, as Suggested by Roemer and Schultes. 



I. Staphylea. 



Calyx 5-partite, protected at the base with an 

 urceolate disk, with the lobes oblong, concave. Petals 

 5. Stamens 5. Ovary 2-3-lobed : styles 2-3, some- 

 times united together. Capsule 2-3 celled ; cells 

 membranaceous, dehiscent within ; few-seeded, con- 

 nected together either at the base or along the whole 

 of their length. Seeds osseous, subglobose, truncated 



