348 TEREBINTH ACE^. [part n. 



containing Omphalobium, and other exotic ge- 

 nera. Of these modern botanists make five dis- 

 tinct orders, viz., Anacardiacese, including the 

 first, second, and fifth sections ; Amyridese, 

 Spondiacese, Bm-seracese, and Connaracese. 

 Ptelea, which was originally included in this or- 

 der, is now generally placed in Xanthoxylaceae. 

 The plants contained in this order have in 

 some cases perfect flowers, and in others, the 

 male and female flowers on different plants. 

 They all abound in a resinous gum ; that 

 from the Mastic tree (Pisfacia Lentiscwji), and 

 several of the species of Rhus, is used for 

 making varnish; the gum of the Turpentine 

 tree (P. Terehintlms) is the Cliian or Cyprus 

 turpentine. The flowers are small, and generally 

 produced in panicles, the petals are sometimes 

 wanting. The leaves are alternate, without 

 stipules, and often compound. The flowers 

 have generally five petals, and five or ten sta- 

 mens ; and the fruit is drupaceous, or capsular, 

 varying in the different genera. In Anacar- 

 dium, the peduncle which supports the Cashew- 

 nut is fleshy and pear-shaped, so as to resemble 

 a fruit more than the nut itself. The Mango 

 has a fleshy drupe, with a woody, fibrous stone 

 or nut. In Pistacia, the fruit is a dry drupe 

 inclosing a nut, which is eatable in P. vera. 

 Both the male and female flowers in this genus 



