1 



390 XXXI. MELIACE^. [Flindersia. 



N, S- "Wales, Between the Darling and Lachlau rivers, Victorian Rrpediiion. ( 



The simple-leaved specimens which arc the most frequent ia N, S. AValcs have much the , 

 habit of Geijera, to which in fact the genus is very nearly allied ; the piiiuatc-lcavcd speci- 

 mens are chiefly tropical^ hut not exclusively so. 



OuDEuXXXII. 0LACINE-«3. 



Floorers regular, hermapliroditc or rarely unisexual. Calyx small, 4- or 5-, 

 rarely 6-toothec!, free or adnate to the disk (in Cmisjera scarcely distinguish- 

 able from the corolla). Petals 4, 5, or rarely 6, free or united in a campanu- 

 late or tubular corolla, valvate in the bud (except Villaresia). Stamens as 

 many or twice as many as petals or rarely fewer, adnate to the base of the 

 petals, or free and h3rpogynous ; anthers 3-celled, versatile, or rarely adnate. 

 Disk fi-ee, or adnate to the ovary or to the calyx, or divided into scale-like 

 glands. Ovary free or immersed in th.e disk, 1-celled or imperfectly 2- or 3- 

 celled; style simple; stigma entire or lobed. Ovides 2, 3, or rarely 1, pen- 

 dulous from a central placenta into the imperfect cells, or from the side^or 

 apex of the cavity. Fruit usually an indelnscent drape, either superior or m- 

 ferior by the growth over it of the disk and tube of the calyx. Seed solitaiy, 



owino: 



centa, apparently erect ; testa very tliinly membranous ; embryo veiy smaii m 

 the apex of a fleshy albumen, or larger and axile ; or, in a genus not Austrahan, 

 occupying the whole seed without albumen ; cotyledons flat or terete ; radicle 

 superior. — Trees, slirubs, or climbers. Leaves usually alternate, entire, penni- 

 nerved, without stipules. Flowers few and axillary, or rarely in terminal pani- 

 cles, usually small. 



^ The Order is widely dispersed over the tropical and suhfropical regions of the glohe. The 

 SIX Australian geucra are noue of them endemic, one extending to New Zealand, one to tro- 

 pical Asia, two to tropical Asia and Africa, one to tropical Asia and America, and one is 

 common to Asia, Africa, and America. The Order is more nearly allied to Loranihace^e 

 among Calycijlom, and especially to Santalacece among Monochlamifdew, than to any (ex- 

 cept Ilicinem) of the Biscijlorce ^ amongst which it is technically placed. 



Tribe I. Olaceae. — Stamens twice as many as petals or fewer, or if the same number 

 as petals, opposite to them. Ovary often 2- or %-celled at the base, \-celled at least at 

 the top; placenta central, with 2 or 3 pendidous ovules. 



Calyx not enlarged after flowering. Stamens twice as many as petals ; 



anthers oblong or linear 1, XniENiA. 



Calyx enlarged and enclosing the fruit. Stamens 3 ; stam'inodia (in 



the Australian species) 5 ; anthers short 2. Olax. 



Tribl II. Ov^liGs^.—Stamens as many as petals and opposite to them. Ovary 1- 

 celledj With 1 ovule, ' 



Perianth apparently simple, shortly 44ohed. Stamens 4, included, 



alternating with 4 glands or scales 8. Cansjeba. 



Calyx minute. Petals 5, free. Stamens 5, exscrtcd, alternating with 



5 scales. 4, Oi^lia, 



r 



Tkibe III. IcBcinese^Stamens as many as petals and alternate 2citk them. Ovary 

 I'Celled, with 1 or % pendulous ovides. 



Petals strictly valvate. Ovule 1, the placenta not prominent. Flowers 



in a much-branched corymbose panicle . * . 5. Pennanxia. 



