129 



the ear, for which purpose the powder of its bark is made use of. Its wood is 

 very hard, and valuable for building. PL Usuelles, 37. The fruit of Ptelea 

 has a strong, bitter, aromatic taste, and is said to have been used with some 

 success as a substitute for hops. Dec. The bark of a species of Brucea is 

 stated by Dr. Horsfield to be of a bitter nature, and to possess properties 

 similar to those of Quassia Simarouba. Mmlie, 2. 105. The Brucea anti- 

 dysenterica contains a poisonous principle called Brucia, which is similar in its 

 effects to Strychnia, but 12 or 16 times less energetic than that alkali. 

 Turner, 652. 

 Examples. Xanthoxylum, Toddalia, Blackburnia. 



CXV. DIOSMEZE. The Bucku Tribe. 



Diosmeje, R. Brown in Flinders, (1814.)— Rutaceje, Dec. Prodi: 1. 709. (1824) chiefly.— 

 Diosmeje, Ad. dc Jussieu Rutacees, 1. 83. (1825.)— Fraxinelleje, Nees and Mariius 

 Nor. Act. Bonn. 11. 149. (1823.)— Cusparieje, Dec. Mem. Mus. 9. 141. (1822); Prodr. 

 1. 729. (1824,) a%of Rutacea?. 



• Diagnosis. Polypetalous dicotyledons, with definite hypogynous stamens, 

 concrete carpella, an entire ovarium of several cells, an imbricated calyx, sym- 

 metrical monoclinous flowers, 2 ovules, endocarp separable from the sarcocarp 

 as a 2-valved coccus, and exstipulate dotted leaves. 



Anomalies. Some of the genera are monopetalous, others have the car- 

 pella in great part distinct. Empleurum has no petals. Dictamnus and some 

 others have irregular ' flowers and more ovules than 2. According to Mr. 

 Brown, there is a New Holland genus, with perigynous stamens, 10 segments 

 of the calyx, 10 petals, and indefinite stamens. 



Essential Character.— Flowers monoclinous, regular or irregular. Calyx in 4 or 5 

 divisions. Petals either as many as the divisions of the calyx, distinct, or combined into a 

 kind of spurious monopetalous corolla, or occasionally wanting ; aestivation for the most part 

 twisted-convolute, very rarely somewhat valvular. Stamens equal in number to the petals, 

 or twice as many, or even fewer in consequence of abortion, hypogynous, very rarely perigy- 

 nous, placed on the outside of a disk or cup surrounding the ovarium, and either free or com- 

 bined with the base of the calyx, or sometimes obsolete. Ovarium sessile or stalked, its lobes 

 equal to the number of petals, or fewer ; ovules twin and collateral, or one above the other, 

 very rarely 4 ; style single, occasionally divided towards the base into as many parts as there 

 are lobes of the ovarium ; stigma simple or dilated. Fruit consisting of several capsules, 

 either cohering firmly or more or less distinct; the endocai-p separating entirely from the 

 sarcocarp, which is 2-valved ; the former 2-valved also, the valves dividing at the base, but 

 connected by a membrane which bears the seeds. Seeds twin or solitary, with a testaceous 

 integument ; embryo with a superior radicle, which is either straight or oblique, and cotyle- 

 dons of variable form ; albumen none.— Trees or shrubs, very rarely herbaceous plants. 

 Leaves without stipulaj, opposite or alternate, simple or pinnate, covered with pellucid resin- 

 ous dots. Flowers axillary or terminal. All the parts aromatic. 



Affinities. M. A. de Jussieu, from whose excellent memoir upon Ruta- 

 cese I have borrowed the greater part of my remarks upon Rutacerc, Zygo- 

 phyllere, Xanthoxylere, and Simarubaceae, speaks thus of Diosmese (M&n. 

 p. 19.): 



" Diosmere are the group to which Mr. Brown gives that name, with the 

 exception, however, of some of the genera which he refers to it ; and they 

 are that by the characters of which botanists have generally defined Rutacea?. 

 It is not necessary to describe the floral envelopes, the stamens, the disk, or 

 the structure of the seed, because these parts vary according to the sections, 

 which are in part characterized by their differences, and they will be better 

 examined in their respective places. But it is important to understand the 



27 



