176 

 Anomalies. Flowers diclinous in Prinos and Nemopanthes. 



Essential Characteh. — Petals 4 to 6, imbricated in estivation. Corolla 4- or 5-parted, 

 hopogynous, imbricated in estivation. Stamens inserted into the corolla, alternate with its 

 segments ; filaments erect; anthers adnate. Disk none. Ovarium fleshy, superior, some- 

 what truncate, with from 2 to 6 cells; ov ula solitary, pendulous from a cup-shaped funiculus ; 

 stigma subsessile, lobed. Fruit fleshy, indehiscent, with from 2 to 6 stones. Seed suspended 

 nearly sessile ; albumen large, fleshy; embryo small, 2-lobed, lying next the hilum, with mi- 

 nute cotyledons, and a superior radicle. — Trees or shrubs. Leaves alternate or opposite, 

 coriaceous. Flowers small axillary, solitary or fascicled. 



Affinities. Included in Rhamneas by most botanists, but well distin- 

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

 in his Genera Plantarum, that Ilicinese ought probably to be placed among 

 Monopetalee, near Sapoteae or Ebenaceaa, will probably be adopted. From 

 Celastrineaa, 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 then ovarium and fruit. In these 

 respects they are found by M. Brongniart to agree so completely with Ebena- 

 cese, that that order does not, in fact, differ essentially from Ilicineae, except in 

 characters of a secondary order, such as the calyx and corolla less deeply di- 

 vided, the stamens often double the number of 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 Ilicineae. Von Martius places them near Polygalese. 



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 practi- 

 tioners. Barton, I. 208. [Bigelow, 3. 141.] Prinos glaber and Ilex Para- 

 guensis are used as tea ; the latter yields the famous beverage called Mate in 

 Brazil. Myginda Gongonha is diuretic. Dec. 



Examples. Ilex, Prinos. 



CLXVII. STYRACE.E. 



Styrace«, Rich. Anal, du Fr. (1808) ; Von Martius N. Gen. ct Sp. PI. 2. 148. (1R26).— Ebe- 

 naces, a%qf Styrac.ee, Dec. and Duby, 320. (1828). — Symplocine*, Don Prodr. tfep. 

 144. (1825.)— Styracin*, Rich, in Humb. K G.et Sp. 3. 256.(1818); Syno]7s. 2. 315. 

 (1823).— HalesiacejE, Don in Jameson's Jour. (Dec. 1828); Link Ilanb. 1. 607. (1829.) 



Diagnosis. Monopetalous, dicotyledons, with an inferior ovarium of seve- 

 ral 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 frequently different from that of the 

 calyx; with imbricated estivation. Stamens definite or indefinite, arising from the tube of the 

 corolla, of unequal length, cohering in various ways, but generally in a slight degree only ; 

 anthers innate, 2-cellcd, bursting inwardly. Ovarium superior, or adhering to the calyx, with 

 from 3 to 5 cells ; ovules definite, the upper persistent, the lower pendulous, or vice versa ; style 

 simple ; stigma somewhat capitate. Fruit drupaceous, surmounted by or enclosed in the ca- 

 lyx, with from 1 to 5 cells. Seeds ascending or suspended, solitary, with the embryo lying in 

 the midst of the albumen ; radicle long, directed towards the hilum ; cotyledons fiat, foliaceoug. 



