CHAP. II.] SANTALACE^. 427 



short drooping racemes. The most remarkable 

 species of the genus is, however, the Lace Bark- 

 tree of Jamaica {D. Lagetto^ or Lagetta lintea- 

 ria), the liber or inner bark of which has such 

 tough fibres as to bear stretching out consider- 

 ably without breaking ; and in this state it re- 

 sembles lace so much, that a collar and rufiles 

 were made of it and sent to Charles II. Gnidia, 

 a greenhouse plant, has little scales in the mouth 

 of the calyx ; and Pimelea has the flowers in 

 heads, surrounded by a four-leaved involucre. 

 The principal other genera are Lachnsea, a little 

 Australian plant with woolly flowers, Passe- 

 rina or Sparrow-wort, and Struthiola. The 

 curious little tree called Leatherwood (Dirca 

 palustris) also belongs to this order. 



ORDER CLXIL— OSYRIDE^. 



Exotic trees with white or greenish flowers. 

 The only genera are the Poet's Cassia (Osgris), 

 and a genus of Australian plants called Exocar- 

 pos. 



ORDER CLXIIL— SANTALACEtE. 



The most interesting plant is the Sandal- wood 

 tree (Santalum alburn)^ which requires a stove in 

 England ; but the North American trees be- 

 longing to the genus Nyssa, including the Tupelo- 



