IIYROPORISEJE. SESAMES. 307 



Older JITROrORTNE.T:. 



Corolla sub-rcp:«lar, or 2-lippecl. Lohes 4-5, imbricate. Stamens 4, sub-equal, 

 or 2. Anthers l-ccllcd. Oiari/ 2ccllcd. Siiffina simple. Ovules 1 in each cell, 

 pendulous. Fruit of 1 or 2 unccjual achenes or utricles. Enihrijo straii;ht. Albumen 

 fleshy. Herbs or under shrubs. Leaves alternate, fascicled or sub-opposite, narrow. 



Mtoporcii, Banlcs. 



M. ACUJiix.iTnr, Brown (M.). 



The heartwood of M. tenui/olium, from the Sandwich Islands, is very fragrant, 

 though less esteemed than sandal-wood. 



PERSONALES. 

 Corolla monopetalous, hypogynous, often bilabiate. StaMe»s fewer than the 

 corolla-lobes, rarely as many, generally 4, didynamous, or 2. Ovar^ 1- or 2-, very 

 rarely 4-celled. Style simple. Sttymas 1 or 2. Ocuhs usually very numerous. Fruit 

 usually capsular. Leaves exstipulate. Herbs, rarely shrubs or trees. 



Order SESAilEJE (rED.VLlXEJE). 



Corolla bilabiate, lobes imbricate. Stamens 4, didynamous, or 2. Anther-celh 

 shorter than the connective, tip glandular. Disk annular or capillar. Ovary 1- to 

 4-celled. Stigma bilamellatc. I'lacentas a.xile or parietal. Ovules few or many. 

 Fruit a capsule or di'upc, often of remarkable form. Emhri/o straight, cxalbnminous 

 or nearly so. Leaves opposite or alternate, exstipulate. Herbs with vesicular glands. 



EUSESAME^. 

 Sesamuji, Linnieus. 



*S. IxnrcTM, L. (il.). 



Hnun or Hnun-mu. 



Largely cultivated as an oil seed. Sesamum oil, when carefully prepared, is 

 excellent for culinary purposes, and not inferior for the table to good salad oil. 



The sesamum or ' til ' seed enters largely into certain ceremonies of the Hindus, 

 and is thus described by Do Gubeniatis : "D'apres le Brahmaptirdna le sesame aurait 

 ete crec par Yama, dieu de la mort, apres de longues penitences. Cettc legende 

 a ete probablement imaginee, apres coup, jwur commenter I'usage indien, d'em])loyer 

 Ic sesame specialement dans Ics ceremonies funeraires et expiatoires, comme uu 

 purificaleur et un symbole de I'immortalite. La sesame devait representer le principe 

 do la vie." And again, " Le sesame, avec le riz et avec le miel, entrait aussi dans la 

 composition de certains gateau.x appcles jw;'«rfns, offerts aux Manes, dans les ceremonies 

 ^raddluU, mais manges par les assistants, qui s'appelaieut en consequence sajjindds." 

 — Mythologie des Plantes, vol. ii. p. 31o. 



PEDJLTXIE^. 



* Seeds winged. 



Bkaxdisia, ITooker f. et Thompson. 



Calyx bell-shaped, gamosepalous, .')-ribbed, 5-7-toothed. Stamens 4, inserted 



near the base of the corolla-tube, didynamous. Filaments glabrous. Anthers 



rotundate, 2-celled. Ovary 2-celled. Seeds linear at both ends, elongated in a 



narrow wing. 



B. nrscoi.oR, H. f. et Th. F.S. Martaban at 3000' to 6000 feet. 



Leaves lanceolate, on a mealy-pubcrulous petiole 3-4 lines long, acuminate, 1-2 

 inches long. Calyx 3 lines long, shortly tawny-tomentose. 



