Ill 



the margin or within it; enters innate. Dink large, expanded, flat, closely surrounding 

 the ovarium, covering the flat expanded torus. Ovarium superior, immersed in the disk 

 and adhering to it, with 3 or 4 cells ; cells 1- or many-seeded ; ovules ascending from the 

 axis, attached to a short funiculus. Fniit superior ; either a 3- or 4-celled capsule, with 

 3 or 4 septiferous valves; or a dry drupe, with a 1- or 2-celled nut, the cells of which are 

 1- or manv-seeded. Seeds ascending, seldom inverted by resupination, either provided 

 with an arillus, or without one ; albumen fleshy ; embryo straight ; cotyledons flat and 



thick, with a short inferior radicle Shrubs. Leaves simple, alternate or opposite. 



Flowers in axillary cymes. 



Affinities. Formerly confounded with Rhannnese, this order was first 

 separated by Mr. Brown, who distinguished it particularly by the relation 

 which its stamens bear to the petals. It also differs in its imbricated calyx, 

 and in its disk being hypogynous. According to Brongniart, Celastrinese 

 have more relation to several orders with hypogynous stamens than to any 

 with perigynous ones, especially to Malpighiaceae, to which they are re- 

 lated through Hippocrateacese, which are in fact, according to Mr. Brown, 

 scarcely distinct from Celastrinese. Brongn. Mem. p. 1.5, Related to Eu- 

 phorbiacese. 



Geography. Natives of the warmer parts of Europe, North America, 

 and Asia, but far more abundant beyond the tropics than within them ; a 

 great number of species inhabit the Cape of Good Hope. Some are found 

 in Chile and Peru, and a few in New Holland. 



Properties. I find nothing recorded about the properties of the species 

 of this order, except a remark by Decandolle, that a decoction of the young 

 branches of Maytenus are employed in Chile as a wash for swellings pro- 

 duced by the poisonous shade of the tree Lithi. Essai, 123. ed. 2. 



Examples. Euonymus, Celastrus, Alzatea. 



XCIV. HIPPOCRATEACEiE. 



HipfocraticejE, Juss. Ann. Mus. 18. 483.(1811.) — Hippocrateace/E, Kunth in 

 Humb. N. G. Am. 5. 136. (1821) ; Dec. Prodr. 1. 567. (1829.) 



Diagnosis. Polypetalous dicotyledons, with definite hypogynous sta- 

 mens (3) cohering at the base in a fleshy cup, concrete carpella, an ovarium 

 of several cells with the placentae in the axis, an imbricated calyx, unsym- 

 metrical flowers, erect ovules, undivided petals without appendages^ and in- 

 dehiscent apterous fruit. 



Anomalies. 



Essential Character — Sepals 5, very seldom 4 or 6, very small, combined as far as 

 the middle, persistent. Petals 5, very seldom 4 or 6, equal, hypogynous ? somewhat imbri- 

 cated in aestivation. Stamens 3, very seldon 4 or 5 ; filaments cohering almost as far as the 

 apex into a tube dilated at the base, and forming about the ovarium a thick disk-like cup ; 

 anthers 1-ceUed, opening transversely at the apex, 2- or even 4-celled. Ovarium con- 

 cealed by the tube, 3-cornered, distinct; style 1 ; stigmas 1-3; ovula erect. Fruit either 

 consisting of 3 samaroid carpella, or berried with from 1 to 3 cells. Seeds in each cell 4, 

 or more, but definite, attached to the axis in pairs, some of them occasionally abortive, 

 erect, without albumen ; embryo straight ; radicle pointing towards the base ; cotyledons 



flat, elliptical oblong, somewhat fleshy, cohering when dried Arborescent or climbing 



shrubs, which are almost always smooth. Leaves opposite, simple, entire or toothed, some- 

 what coriaceous. Racemes axillary, in corymbs or fascicles. Flowers small, not shewy. 



Affinities. The ternary number of the stam.ens, along with the qui- 

 nary number of the petals and sepals, is the prominent characteristic of this 

 order, which was formerly included in Acerinese by M. de Jussieu, which is 



