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CCII. EBENACEJE. The Ebony Tribe, 



Guaiaca-nje, Juss. Gen. 155. (1789) part of the first secf .—Ebenacejg, Vent. Tabl. 443. (1799); 

 Brown Prodr. 524. (1810).— Ebenaceje, § Diospyreae, Dec. and Duby, 320. (1829). 



Diagnosis. Monopetalous dicotyledons, with superior several-celled ova- 

 rium, regular (diclinous) flowers, definite pendulous collateral ovules, a 

 3-6-lobed corolla with the stamens some multiple of its lobes, and albumi- 

 nous seeds. 



Anomalies. 



Essential Character.— Flowers polygamous or dioecious, seldom perfect. Calyx in 3 or 

 6 divisions, nearly equal, persistent. Corolla monopetalous, hypogynous, regular, deciduous, 

 somewhat coriaceous, usually pubescent externally, and smooth internally ; its limb with 3 or 

 6 divisions, imbricated in aestivation. Stamens definite, either arising from the corolla, or 

 hypogynous ; twice as many as the segments of the corolla, sometimes 4 times as many, or 

 the same number, and then alternate with them ; filaments simple in the monochnous spe- 

 cies, generally doubled in the polygamous and dioecious ones, both their divisions bearing 

 anthers, but the inner one generally smaller; anthers attached by their base, lanceolate, 

 2-cclled, dehiscing lengthwise, sometimes bearded ; pollen round, smooth. Ovarium sessile, 

 without any disk, several-celled, the cells each having 1 or 2 ovules pendulous from their 

 apex ; style divided, seldom simple ; stigmas bifid, or simple. Fruit fleshy, round or oval, by 

 abortion often few-seeded, its pericarpium sometimes opening in a regular manner. Seed 

 with a membranous testa of the same figure as the albumen, which is cartilaginous and 

 white; embryo in the axis, or but little out of it, straight, white, generally more than half as 

 long as the albumen ; cotyledons foliaceous, somewhat veiny, lying close together, occasion- 

 ally slightly separate; radicle taper, of middling length or long, turned towards the hilum ; 

 plumula inconspicuous. — Threes or shrubs, without milk, and a heavy wood. Leaves alter- 

 nate, without stipul», obsoletely articulated with the stem, quite entire, coriaceous, -inflo- 

 rescence axillary. Peduncles solitary, those of the staminiferous divided, of the pistilliferous 

 usually 1-flowered, with minute bractea. R. Br. 



Affinities. Very near Oleacese, with which they agree in the placenta- 

 tion of the seeds and other points of structure ; distinguished by their alter- 

 nate leaves, constantly axillary and usually diclinous flowers, the stamens of 

 which are at least double the number of the lobes of the corolla. R. Br. They 

 are also closely allied to Illicineee, from which they chiefly differ in the num- 

 ber of their stamens and their divided stamens and pistils. For their resemblance 

 to Sapotese, see that order. Styracese were combined with them by Jussieu. 



Geography. Chiefly Indian and tropical ; a very few are found north- 

 wards as far as Switzerland in Europe, and the state of New York in North 

 America. 



Properties. Remarkable only for the hardness and blackness of the 

 wood, and the eatable quality of the fruit. The former is well known under 

 the name of Ebony and Ironwood ; the latter are occasionally introduced 

 from China as a dry sweetmeat. They are noted for their extreme acer- 

 bity before arriving at maturity. The bark of Diosp. virginiana is said to be 

 a febrifuge. 



Examples. Diospyrus, Maba, Ferreola. 



CCIII. COLUMELLIACE^E. 



Columellieje, Don in Edinb. New Phil. Journ. (Dec. 1828). 



Diagnosis. Monopetalous diandrous dicotyledons, with an inferior 2-celled 

 many-seeded ovarium, opposite leaves, and regular flowers. 

 Anomalies. 



