Sa PI iN DALES.] 



VOCHYACEiE. 



379 



Order CXXXIV. VOCHYACE^.-Vochyads. 



Vochysiacese, Mart. Nov. Gen. 1. 123. (1824) ; Endl, Gen. cclx. ; Meisner, 119.— Vochysieae, A. St. Hit. 

 M^m. Mus. 6. 2C5. (1820) ; DC. Prodr. 3.25. (1828). 



Diagnosis. — Sapindal Exogcns, iviili complete, unsymmetHcal, very irregular floivers, 



nciTced petals, anthers opening longitudinalli/, 3 carpels, and winged seeds. 

 Trees or slu'ubs. Brauches opposite, when young 4-eornered. Leaves opposite, 



sometimes towards the extremities of the branches alternate, entire, ^^•ith glands or 2 



stipules at the base. Flowers usually in tenninal panicles or racemes. Sepals 4-5, 



combined at the base, very unequal, the two outer the smallest, the two in front the 



largest, imbricated in aestivation, the upper 



one much the largest and spmTed. Petals 



1,2, 3 or 5, alternate with the segments of 



the calyx, and inserted into their base, 



unequal. Stamens 1-5, usually opposite 



the petals, rarely alternate with them, 



arising from the bottom of the calyx, for 



the most part sterile, 1 of them haA-uig an 



ovate fertile 4-celled anther. Ovary free, 



or partially adlierent, 3-celled ; o\'ules m 



each cell, soUtary or twin, or 00, attached 



to the axis, amphitropal, with the fora- 

 men uppeiTBOst ; occasionally 1 -celled, 



with 2 anatropal ovules rismg from the 



base ; style and stigma 1. Capsule 3- 



cornered, 3-celled, 3-valved, the valves 



bursting along their middle, with a central 



columella ; occasionally indeliiscent, 1- 



celled, 1 -seeded, and crowned by the sepals 



grown out into wings. Seed without albu- 

 men, erect, usually \vinged ; embryo 



straight in the capsular genera, with large 



leafy cotyledons and a short superior ra- 

 dicle ; in the monospermous fioiit, orthotro- 



pal, cylindrical, with semi - cylindiical 

 cotyledons, and a short inferior radicle. 



Such is the character that Botanists give 

 to a most cmious race of trees and .slii'ubs, 

 which few have had the opportunity of 

 stud}ing, but which are remarkable for 

 the beauty of theu'lai-ge and gaily colom'ed 

 flowers. It seems, however, certain that the Order, as thus described, contains genera 

 which must hereafter be separated, and that it cannot be at present regarded as being at 

 all well Umited. De Candolle speaks of it as being in habit and flower somewiiat allied to 

 Guttifers or Margi'a\iads, but distmct from both in the stamens being mserted into 

 the calyx ; perhaps more du'ectly connected \vith Myrobalans, on account of the convo- 

 lute cotyledons and m verted seeds ; and even perhaps alUed to some Onagrads, on account 

 of the abortive solitary stamen. To me it still appears to be more allied to Violetworts, 

 an affinity strongly pointed out by the u'regular flowers, 3-celled ovary, and stipules, but 

 also to be yet nearer Milkw^orts, from which the calcarate flowers and ascenduig ovules 

 principally distinguish it. The main difficulty in associating it with any AUiance to ^yhich 

 these Orders belong, consists in the stamens being truly perigynous. But there is no 

 perigynous Alliance to wiiich it seems referable, and the peculiar proportion of the 

 3-celled ovary to the 5-parted calyx and corolla, strongly indicates the tiiie affinity to be 

 with the Sapindal AlUance. 



Natives of equinoctial America, where they inhabit ancient forests, by the banks of 

 streams, sometimes rismg up mountains to a considerable elevation. They are often 

 trees with large spreading heads. 



Fig. CCLXV. 



Fig. CCLXV.— Salvertia convallaiiodora.— .S<. Hilaur. 1. an expanded flower ; 

 calyx, with the stamens ; 3. a pistil ; 4. a transverse section of the ovary. 



a portion of the 



