11 



Affinities. Combined by Decandolle and others with Myrtaceae, from 

 which the}' differ most essentially in their alternate, often serrated leaves, with* 

 out pellucid dots. To me they appear, notwithstanding the perigynous station 

 of their stamens, to be more nearly allied to Temstrdmiaceae. For an account 

 of the germination of Lecythis, see Du Petit Thonars, Ess. 3. 32. 



Geography. Natives of the hottest parts of South America, especially of 

 Guiana. 



Properties. The fruit of Couroupita guianensis, called Jlhricot savauge 

 in Cayenne, is vinous apd pleasant. The most gigantic tree in the ancient 

 forests of Brazil is that called the Sapucaya. It is the Lecythis ollaria, the 

 seeds of which are. large and eatable, Pr. Max. Trav. 83. The fleshy seeds 

 of all the species of Lecythis are ealabje, but they leave a bitter unpleasant after- 

 taste in the mouth. The bark of L. ollaria is easily separable, by beating the 

 liber into a number of fine distinct lawyers, which divide so neatly from each 

 other, that, when separated, they have ihe appearance of thin satiny paper. 

 Poiteau says he has counted as many as ] 10 of these coatings. The Indians 

 cut them in pieces, as wrappers for their cigars. The well-known Brazil nuts 

 of the shops of London are the seeds of Bertholletia excelsa. The lacerated 

 parts of the flowers of Couroupita guianensis become blue upon exposure 

 to the air. The Gustavia urceolata is called bois puunl, because its wood be-, 

 comes, after similar exposure, excessively foetid. Poiteau, 1. c. 



Examples. Bertholletia, Lecythis, Gustavia 



XXXIV. GUTTIFERyE. The Mangosteen Tribe. 



Guttife?^, Juse. Ge: .243. (1789); Dec. Prodr. 1. 557. (1824); Cambessedes Mi moire (1828.) 



Diagnosis. Polypetalous dicotyledons, with hypogynous indefinite un- 

 equal stamens, adnate anthers, concrete carpella, an ovarium of several cells 

 with the placenta 1 in. the axis, a persistent imbricated many-leaved calyx, oppo- 

 site simple leaves without stipulae, and resinous juice. 



Anomalies. Havetia has the anthers immersed in a fleshy receptacle 

 The ovarium of Calophyllum is 1 celled, and the petals opposite the sepals. 



Essential Character.*— F/oirers monoclinous, or diclinous. Sepals from 2 to 6, usually 

 persistent, round, membranous, and imbricated, frequently unequal and coloured. Petals 

 hypogynous, from 4 to 10, passing" insensibly into sepals. Stamens numerous, either distinct, 

 or combined in one or more parcels, hypogynouB, rarely definite ; filaments of various lengths ; 

 anthers adnate, bursting inwards, sometimes very small, occasionally bursting outwards, 

 sometimes 1-celled, and sometimes opening- by a pore. Disk fleshy, occasionally 5-lobcd. 

 Ovarium solitary, superior, 1- or many-celled ; ovules solitary, erect, or ascending, or numc- 

 rpus ajid attached to central placentae ; sfyZenone, or very short; stigma peltate, or radiate. 

 Fruit either dry or succulent, 1- or many-celled, 1- or many-seeded, dehiscent or indehiscent. 

 Seeds frequently nestling in pulp; their coat thin and membranous, always apterous, very 

 frequently with an niillus; albumen none; embryo straight; cotyledons thick, inseparable ; 

 radicle either turned to or from the hilum.— Trees or sh rubs, occasionally parasitical, yielding 

 resinous juice. fjeaves without stipulje, opposite, very rarely alternate, coriaceous, entire, 

 with a strong midrib, and often with the lateral veins running through to the margin. Flow- 

 ers usually numerous, axillary, pr terminal, white, pink, or red, articulated with their pedun- 

 cle. 



Affinities. In treating of Ternstromiacese 1 have made use of the excel 

 lent memoir of < Jambessedes for the purpose of explaining the affinities of that 

 order with this; and 1 draw the following comparisons from the same source ; 

 premising only, that European botanists are much in want of good observa- 

 tions upon living plants of < ruttiferse, and that there is no order that is more in. 

 need of elucidation from some skilful Indian botanist than this. M. Combes-. 



