80 



sepals ; filaments monadelphous, either all bearing anthers, or alternately shorter, villous 

 or ciliated, and alternately bearing ovate 2-celled erect a/itficrs. Ovarinm superior, l-celled ^ 

 style 1, fiUform ; stigma capitate, or slightly lobed ; ovula indefinite, attaclied to parietal 

 placenta?. Capsule coriaceous, with 1 cell and from 3 to 5 valves, many-seeded, the valves 

 dehiscing imperfectly, often somewhat pulpy inside, and coloured. Seeds fixed to the valves, 

 without order, on the papillose or pulpy part, with a fleshy arillus and excavated hilum ; 

 albumen fleshy ; embryo inverted, minute; cotyledons ovate, foliaoeous; radicle pointing to 

 the_ extremity remote from the hilum Trees or shrubs. Leaves alternate, often some- 

 what distichous, simple, entire or toothed, evergreen, with stipulm, usually with pellucid 

 dots, which are most frequently oblong. Peduncles axillary, solitary, or numerous. 



Affinities. Placed in Dichlamydeae by Decandolle, who, however, 

 describes them as apetalous, " unless the petaloid layer covering the inner 

 surface of the sepals be considered a corolla," a proposition which it is 

 impossible to admit. This order appears to be of very uncertain affinity. Its 

 fruit approximates it to Bixinese, its dotted leaves to Terebintacese, near 

 which Decandolle stations it, and its perigynous stamens to Rosacese, with 

 which its alternate stipulate leaves also ally it. Mr. Brown observes, that 

 Samydeae are especially distinguished by their leaves having a mixture of 

 round and linear pellucid dots, which distinguish them from all the other 

 families with which they are likely to be confounded. Congo, 444. 



Geography. Chiefly natives of the West Indies and South America; 

 a very few only are described from India. 



Properties. Unknown. The bark and leaves are said to be astringent 

 in a slight degree. Dec. 



Examples. Samyda, Casearia. 



LXXII. SANGUISORBE.E. The Burnet Tiube. 



RosACEyE, § Sauguisorbcffi, Juss. Gen. 33C. (178f)); Dec. Prodr. 2. 588. (1828) ; Lindl. 



Synops. 102. (1829.) 



Diagnosis. Apetalous dicotyledons, with definite suspended ovula, an 

 inferior tubular indurated calyx, with perigynous stamens, indehiscent fruit, 

 and alternate stipulate leaves. 



Anomalies. The stipulse of ClifFortia cohere with the leaves. Alche- 

 milla arvensis has simple l-celled anthers bursting transversely, and ascending 

 ovula. 



Essential Character Flowers often unisexual. Calyx with a thickened tube 



and a 3- 4- or 5-fobed limb, its tube lined with a disk. Petals none. Slnmens defirn'te, 

 sometimes fewer tban the segments of the caljTC, with which tliey are alternate, arising 

 from the orifice of the calyx ; anthers 2-celled, innate, bursting longitudinally, occasionally 

 1-celIed, bursting transversely. Oimrium soHtary, simple, with a style proceeding from tlie 

 apex or the base ; ovulum solitary, always attached to that part of the ovarium which is 

 next the base of the style; stiyma compound or simple. Nut solitary', enclosed in the often 

 indurated tube of the calyx. Seed solitary, suspended or ascending ; embryo without albu- 

 men ; radicle superior ; cotyledons large, plano-convex Herbaceous plants or under- 



shrubs, occasionally spiny. Leaves simple and lobed, or compound, alternate, with stijJulaB. 

 Flowers small, often capitate. 



Affinities. This order, usually combined with Rosacea^, appears to 

 me to demand a distinct station, on account of its constantly apetalous 

 flowers, its indurated calyx, and tho reduction of carptlla to one only ; it 

 is, however, not, as far as I know, distinguishable by any other characters. 

 The presence of petals, a character assigned to Acanva, I have shewn, in 

 the Botanical Register, to have no existence. Usually the ovulum is sus- 

 pended, the style arising from below the apex of the carpelluni ; b\tt when 



