670 



PEDALIACE^. 



[Perigynous Exogens. 



4 cells ; but so long since as December, 1825 {Bot. Reg. t. 934), I explained the true 

 nature of this stinictui'e in the following words: — " Upon a careful examination of the 

 ovarimn, it will be fomid that the fruit, in that stage, is neither 4-celled nor even 

 2-celled, but consists of only one cell, traversed by two projecting, parietal placentae, each 

 of which is 2-lobed ; the lobes di\dded at right angles from theu" point of separation, 

 and bearing on their edges a few horizontal o^^lla, of wliich part project into the open 

 centre of the ovarium, and the others into the ca-\dty between the placenta and the 

 lining of the ovarium. Now the capsule differs from the ovarium in no essential point 

 of structm'e, but the following changes take place : the pericarpium and the placentas 

 become woody and rigid, the inner faces of the latter become pressed together so as to 

 destroy the ovula which were placed between them, and to exhibit the appearance of a 

 bilamellar dissepiment, and the remainmg ovula become pendulous, and reduced in 

 number, and exist in the fonn of large apterous seeds between the inner edge of the 

 lateral lobes of the placenta and the endocarpium." 



A not less singular in appearance, but unreal de\dation, occurs in Pretrea zanguebarica, 

 whose two carpels turn then' edges inwards, right and left, until they touch the sides of 

 the ovaiy, and form on each side a httle pouch for the reception of the seeds ; at the 

 same time, in consequence of the inflected plates not touching each other, two seedless 

 cavities ai'e also formed next the ventral and dorsal 

 sutures, and thus a six-celled frviit is coustinicted out 

 of a pair of carpels. The accompanying cut explains 

 this singular structure. 



The species of PedaUads occm* in all parts of 

 the tropics, in small numbers, but Africa is sup- 

 posed to be the principal field over which they are 

 spread. 



The leaves of Sesamum are emollient. Its seeds 

 contain an abundance of a fixed oil, as tasteless as 

 that of Olive Oil, for which it might be substituted, and 

 which is expressed in Egypt in great quantities. It is 

 sometimes called Gingilie Oil, and, if of very good 

 quality, is employed for adulterating Oil of Almonds. 

 It is, however, apt to become rancid. The fresh 

 leaf of Pedalium Murex, when agitated in water, 

 renders it mucilaginous, in which state it is prescribed by Indian doctors in cases of 

 dysuria and gonorrhoea. The meal of the seeds of both these plants is used in India 

 for poultices. Uncaria procumbens, called the Grapple Plant at the Cape of Good Hope, 

 has a fruit covered with hooked spmes, which lay hold of the clothes of travellers, and 

 the pair of long hooked horns of Martj-nia proboscidea, called in Italy the Testa di 

 Quaglia, is notorious for the same propensity. The fleshy sweet root of Craniolaria 

 annua is preserved in sugar by the Creoles as a dehcacy ; in a dry state it is said to be 

 a bitter cooling medicine. 



GENERA. 



Fig. CCCCXLVIII. 



I. Pedaled. 



Craniolaria, Linn. 

 Holoregmia, Nees- 

 9 Neowedia, Schrad. 



MartjTiia, Linn. 

 Proboscidea, Schmidt. 



Carpoceras, A. Rich. 



Pedalium, Royen. 



Cacatali, Adans. 

 Ischnia, DC. 



Harpagophytum, DC. 

 Uncaria, \BMrcfe. 

 Rogeria, Gay. 

 Pretrea, Gay. 



Dicerocaryiim, Boj. 

 Josephinia, Vent. 

 Pterodiscus, Hooker. 



II, Sesame.*:. 

 Sesamum, Linn. 



Digitalis, Toumef. 



? Dysosmon, Raf. 

 Ceratotheca, Endl. 

 Sesamopteris, Endl. 



Gong y la, Bernh. 

 Sporledera, Bernh. 



Numbers. Gen. 14. Sp. 25. ? 



Myoporacece. 

 Position. — Bignoniacese. — Pedaliace^.— Gesneraceae. 



Selaginacece. 



Fig. CCCCXLVIII. — Pretrea zanguebarica; a cross section of its fruit. 



