136 



CXVIII. OCHNACEiE. 



OcHNACE^, Dec. Ann. Miis. 17- 398. (1811); Prodr. 1. 735. (1824.) 



Diagnosis. Polypetalous dicotyledons, with hypogynous stamens, 

 and a deeply lobed ovarium, the style arising from the base of the con- 

 crete carpella, which are seated upon a succulent disk ; "anthers opening by 

 pores. 



Anomalies. Stamens definite or indefinite. 



Essential Chabacteh Sepals 5, persistent, imbricated in estivation. Petals 



hypogynous, definite, sometimes twice as many as the sepals, deciduous, spreading, imbri- 

 cated in .estivation. Stamens 5, opposite the sepals, or 10, or indefinite in numi)er, arising 

 from a hypogynous disk ; filaments persistent ; anthers 2-celled, innate, opening l)y pores. 

 Carpella equal in number to the petals, Ijang upon an enlarged, tumid, fleshy disk (the 

 gynobase) ; their styles combined in one ; oimla erect. Fruit composed of as many pieces 

 as there were carpella, indehiscent, somewhat drupaceous, 1 -seeded, articulated with the 

 gynobase, which grows with their growth. Seeds without albumen; embryo straight; 



radicle short ; cotyledons thick Very smooth Trees or shrubs., having a watery juice. 



Leaves alternate, simple, entire, or toothed, with 2 stipulae at the base. Flowers usually 

 in racemes, with an articulation in the middle of the pedicels. 



Affinities. Very near Rutacese, from which they are distinguished 

 by their erect ovula, the dehiscence of their anthers, and many more 

 characters. They are to Polypetalse what Labiatas and Boragineae are to 

 Monopetaloe. 



Geography. All found in tropical India, Africa, and America. 



Properties. Walkera serrata has a bitter root and leaves, and is 

 employed in Malabar, in decoction in milk or water, as a tonic, stomachic, 

 and anti-emetic. The bark of Ochna hexasperma is used in Brazil as a 

 cure of the sores produced in cattle by the punctures of insects. It pro- 

 bably acts as an astringent. PL Usuelles, 38. 



Examples. Ochna, Gomphia. 



CXIX. ZYGOPHYLLEiE. The Bean Caper Tribe. 



Zygopiiylle^., R. Brown in Flinders, (1814); Dec. Prodr. 1. 703. (1824); 

 Adrien de Juss. Rutacies, C?. (1825.) 



Diagnosis. Polypetalous dicotyledons, with definite hypogynous sta- 

 mens, concrete carpella, an entire ovarium of several cells, an imbricated 

 calyx, symmetrical flowers, pendulous ovules, stamens arising from hypo- 

 gynous scales, and opposite stipulate leaves without pellucid dots. 



Anomalies. Ovules occasionally erect. Tribulus has the fruit sepa- 

 rating into spiny nuts, with transverse phragmala, and no albumen. Meli- 

 anthus has very irregular flowers. 



Essential Charactek. — Flowers hermaphrodite, regular. Calyx divided into 

 4 or 5 pieces, with convolute a'stivation. Petals unguictilate, alternate with the segments 

 of the calyx and a little longer, in aestivation, which is usually convolute, at first very short 

 and scale-like. Stamens doul>le the inimlier of the p«!tals, dilated at the l)ase, sometimes 

 naked, sometimes placed on the back of a small scale, hypogynous. Oiiarium simple, sur- 

 rounded at tlie base with glands or a short sinuous disk, more or less deeply 4- or 5-fur- 

 rowed, with 4 or 5 cells ; ovula in each cell 2 or more, attached to the inner angle, pendu- 

 lous, or occasionally erect; style simple, usually with 4 r)r 5 furrows; stigma simple, or with 

 4 or 5 lobes. Fruit capsular, rarely somewhat fleshy, witli 4 or 5 angles or wings, bursting 

 by 4 or 5 valves bearing the dissepiments in the middle, or into as many close cells; the 

 sarcocarp not separable from the endocarj). Seeds usually fewer than the ovules, either 

 compressed and scabrous when dry, or ovale and smooth, with a thin lierbaceous integn- 



