446 XXXVII. AMPELIDE.E. 



Woody climbers or rarely erect shrubs or small trees. Branches often articu- 

 late. Leaves alternate or the lower ones opposite, simple or compound, tlie 

 petiole usually articulate with the stem and expanded into a membranous sti- 

 pule. Rowers small, in little umbels, cymes, racemes, or spikes, arranged in 

 leaf-opposed, cymose, thyrsoid, or elongated pauicles. 



The Order^ almost or finite limited to the two following genera, is widely dispersed over 

 the tropical and warm regions of the globe, more abundant in the Old World than in 

 America, and the smaller genus confined to the Old World. It is very nearly allied to 

 Celastrinece, and especially to lihanmece, from which it differs in habit, in the niore de- 

 veloped petals, in the baccate fruit and in the smallncss of the embryo. 



Stamens free. Ovary 2-cclied with 2 ovules in each cell. Woody climbers, wath 



tendi'ils , 1- ViTiS. 



Stamens and petals connate with the disk. Ovary 3- to 6-celled with 1 ovule in 



each cell. Erect, without tendrils . . . • • 2. Lkka. 



1. VITIS, Limi. 



(Cissus, Lhin.) 



Petals free or colicring at the tips, and fulling off together. Stamens in- 

 serted round the ba^c of the short, annular, or lobed disk. Ovary 2-celled 

 (sometimes imperfectly so), with 2 ovules in each cell.— Woody climbers or 

 rarely bushy shrubs, with leaf-opposed tendrils (abortive inflorescences). 

 Leaves simple or compound, sometimes marked Avith pellucid dots. Panicles 

 in the Australian species cymose or rarely reduced to solitary imibels. Petals 

 very concave, almost hood-shaped, but without the dorsal appendages of some 

 Asiatic species. 



The genus comprises nearly (lie whole of the Order, extending over the whole of its 

 geographical area. Of the 14 Australian spceicSj 3 arc widely distributed over tropical 

 Asia, another extends to the Fiji Islands, the remaining 10 are cudcuiie. The Australian 

 species appear tolerably constant in the division of tlicir leaves, but that character is not to 

 be absolutely relied on, for the trifoliolate, digitate, and pcdate forms wiU occasionally pass 

 one into the other. 



Leaves simple. 



Ltaves ovate, pcnniveined, or 3-nervcd at the base, rather fleshy. 

 Leaves shortly acuminate, mostly toothed. Berries globular. Tall, 



woody climbers I. K anfarciicfl^ 



Leaves very obtuse, quite entire. Berries obovoid. Bushy tree . 3. V, ohlonga. 

 Leaves broad-cordate, 5-nerved, membranous. 



Branches glaucous. Veinlets rcticiJate, not prominent. FloAvers 



at least 1 line diameter 3. F". cordata. 



Not glaucous, Vciulets transverse. Flowers Jiot \ line diajnetcr 4. F. acbiattf. 

 Leaflets 3. 



Leaflets ovate, rather thick and firm, shining. Cymes nearly globular, 



on veiy short peduncles. Stigma very broad 5. F. n'tletis. 



' Lcullcts large, broadly ovate or cordate, membrauous. Cynics loose, 



divaricate. 

 Leaves glabrous, or nearly so. llowers fully 1 line diameter, on 



stout pedicels 6. F. saj)onari(t. 



Leaves hairv on both sides. Flowers about ^ line diameter, on 



filiform pedicels 7. T. acris. 



Leaflets mostly under 2 in., rather thick, or almost fleshy, coarsely 



toothed. Cymes loose, divaiicatc .-...•..-. 8. F". irlfoha. 



