171) 



Anomalies. Flowers unisexual in Prinos and Nemopanthes. 



Essential Character Sepah 4 to C; imbricated in aestivation. Corolla 4- or 5- 



parted, hypogj'nons, imbricated in aestivation. Stamens inserted into the corolla, alternate 

 with its segments i filamenls erect; anthers adnate. Disk none. Ovarinm fleshy, superior, 

 somewhat truncate, with from 2 to 6 cells ; oiucla solitary, pendulous from a cup-shaped 

 funiculus ; stigma, subsessile, lobed. Fruit fleshy, indehiscent, with from 2 to 6 stones. 

 Seed suspended, nearly sessile ; albxcmen large, fleshy; embryo small, 2-l()bed, lying next the 

 liilum, with minute cotyledons, and a superior radicle. — Trees or shrubs. Leaves alternate 

 or opposite, coriaceous. Flowers small, axillary, solitary or fascicled. 



Affinities. Included in Rharanese by most botaiiists, but well dis- 

 tinguished by Ad. Brongniart, who remarks that the suggestion of M. de 

 .Jussieu in his Genera Plantarum, that Ilicinese ought probably to be 

 placed among Monopetaloe, near Sapoteae or Ebenaceae, will probably be 

 adopted. From Celastrinese, with which they are combined in most modern 

 works, they differ in the form of their calyx and corolla, in the disposition 

 and insertion of their stamens, and especially in the structure of their, 

 ovarium and fruit. In these respects they are found by M. Brongniart to 

 agree so completely with Ebenaceoe, that that order does not, in fact, differ 

 essentially from Ihcineee, except in characters of a secondary order, such 

 as the calyx and corolla less deeply divided, the stamens often double the 

 number of the segments of the corolla, the style being sometimes divided, 

 the cells of the ovarium usually containing 2 collateral ovula, and finally 

 in the cells of the fruit not becoming bony, as in most Ilicinece. Von 

 Martius places them near Polygalea^. 



Geography. Found in various parts oF the world, especially in the 

 West Indies, South America, and the Cape of Good Hope. Several are 

 found in North America; but 1, the common Holly, in Europe. 



Properties. The bark and berries of Prinos verticillatus possess, in an 

 eminent degree, the properties of vegetable, astringent, and tonic medicines, 

 along with antiseptic powers which are highly spoken of by American prac- 

 titioners. Barton, 1. 208. Prinos glaber and Ilex Paraguensis are used 

 as tea : the latter yields the famous beverage called Mate in Brazil. My- 

 ginda Gongonha is diuretic. Dec. 



Examples. Ilex, Prinos. 



CLXVII. STYRACE.E. 



Styrace^, Rich. Anal, du Fr. (1808) ; Von Martius N. Gen. et Sp. PI. 2. 148. (1826). 



— Ebenace/e, a § of Styracese, Dec. and Duby, 320. (1828) Symplocine.f,, 



Don Prodi: Nop. 144. (1825) STYiiACiNiE, Rich, in Humb. N. G. et Sp. 



3. 256. (1818) ; Synops. 2. 315. (1823) Halesiace^, Don in Jameson's Journ. 



{Dec. 1828) ; Link Handb. 1. 66?. (1829.) 



Diagnosis. Monopetalous dicotyledons, with an inferior ovarium of 

 several cells, definite ovula, and alternate leaves. 

 Anomalies. 



Essential Character Calyx inferior or superior, with 5 divisions, persistent. 



Corolla hypogynous, monopetalous, the number of its divisions fretjuently ditterent from 

 that of the calyx ; with imbi-icated festivation. Stamens definite or indefinite, arising from 

 the tube of the corolla, of unequal length, cohering in various ways, but generally in a 

 slight degree oiAy ; anthers innate, 2-celled, bursting inwardly. Ovarium superior, or ad. 

 hering to the calyx, with .from 3 to 5 cells ; ovules definite, the upper persistent, the lower 

 pendulous, or vice versa i style simple ; stigma somewhat capitate. Fruit drupaceous, sur- 

 mounted by or enclosed in t!ie calyx, with from 1 to 5 cells. Seeds ascending or suspended, 

 solitary, with the embryo lyiiTg in the midst of the albumen ; radicle long, directed towards 



