THE DICOTYLEDONES 



1801 



recognized cultivated varieties. The genus contains some thirty species 

 with their centre of distribution in Indo-Malaya. 



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Fig. 1694. — Mauiiifeici imlicci. Mango. Trees in the Jardim Botanico, Rio de Janeiro. 



Another genus of economic importance is Pistachio. There are only 

 five species, which are very widely distributed. The flowers are apetalous 

 and dioecious. P. vera, which is of Mediterranean origin, yields fruits which 

 are sold as Pistachio nuts. P. terebinthus yields China Turpentine, while 

 P. lentiscus produces a mastic resin. A somewhat similar resin is produced 

 by Schinus ttwlle, the " Pepper " Tree, which is a native of Central and South 

 America and is planted everywhere in dry countries. 



From this brief survey it will be realized that this family includes a 

 remarkable number of important economic plants. 



The Sapindaceae are a large family, with about 1,000 species grouped 

 into some 120 genera. They are mostly trees or shrubs, though a number 

 have adopted climbing methods of growth, usually forming lianas with 

 anomalous secondary growth. In Serjania, for example, there is a ring 

 of vascular bundles surrounded by a varying number of rings of outer 

 bundles each with its own pith. Both central and peripheral bundle rings 



