Sapindales.] 



STAPHYLEACEiE. 



381 



Order CXXXV. STAPHYLEACE^.— Bladder-Nuts 



Celastrineae, § Staphyleacese, DC. Prodr. 2. 2. (1825).— Staphyleacese, Lindl. Synopsis, 75. (1829) ; 



Endl. Gen. ccxxxv. 



Diagnosis. — Sapindal Exogens, xoith partially complete, symmetrical fiotoers, an imhricatecl 

 calyx, ascending ovules, simple stigmas, opposite leaves, with stipides. 



Shrubs. Leaves opposite (rarely alternate), pinnate, with both common and partial 



deciduous stipules. Flowers in ter- 

 minal, stalked racemes, sometimes $ - 

 0- $ . Sepals 5, connected at the base, 

 colom'ed, with an imbricated aestiva- 

 tion. Petals 5, alternate, with an 

 imbricated aestivation, inserted in or 

 aroimd a free crenated saucer-shaped 

 disk. Stamens 5, alternate Avith the 

 petals, perigynous. Ovary 2- or 3- 

 celled, free, with the carpels more or 

 less distinct; ovules several, horizontal 

 or ascending, anatropal ; styles 2 or 3, 

 cohei-ing at the base. Fruit membran- 

 ous or fleshy, indehiscent or opening 

 internally, often deformed by the aboli- 

 tion of some of the parts. Seeds 

 ascending, roundish, mth a bony testa; 

 hilum large, truncate ; albumen little 

 or none ; cotyledons thick ; radicle 

 short, next the hilum. 



Combined with Spindle-trees by De 

 Candolle, but distiaguished by Ad. 

 Brongniart {Mem. sur les Rharanees, 

 p. 16), this Order appeal's to be essen- 

 tially characterised by its opposite pin- 

 nated stipulate leaves, and to be far 

 more closely allied to Soapworts, from 

 which it is distinguished by the number of its sepals, petals, and stamens being ahke. 



The very few species which belong here are irregularly scattered over the face of the 

 globe. Of the genus Staphylea, 1 is fomid in Europe, 1 in North America, 1 m Japan, 

 2 in Jamaica, 1 in Peru ; and of Tm'pinia, 1 is INIexican, and 1 East Indian. 



Very little is known of their uses. The Bladder-nuts are handsome trees of small 

 size ; then- seeds are oily, rather austere, and slightly purgative. The inner bark of the 

 root of Euscaphis staphyleoides, a Japan plant, is bitter and asti'ingent, and is used in 

 dysentery and chronic diarrhoea, according to Siebold. 



GENERA. 



Turpinia, Vent. I Staphylea, Lhin. 



Dalrympelea, Roxb. Stayhylodmdron, Tournef. 



Euscaphis, Sieb. et Zucc. \ Bumalda, Thunb. 



Fig. CCLXVI. 



Numbers. Gen. 3. Sp. 14. 



Position. 



Staph YLEACE^.—Sapindacese. 

 Celasiracece. 



Fig. CCLXVI.— Staphylea Bumalda.— De^mert. 1. a flower ; 2. a perpendicular section of it ; 3. a 

 section of its ovary. 



