396 



TERNSTROMIACEiE. 



[Hypogynous Exogens. 



Order. CXLII. TERNSTROMIACEiE.— Theads. 



TemstrOmiese, Mirhel. Bull. Philom. 381. (1813).— Ternstromiaceae, DC. Mem. Soc. H. N. Gemv. vol. 1 

 (1823) ; Prodr. 1. 523. (1824) ; Camhesscdes Mimoire, (1828) ; Endl. Gen. ccxv. ; Meisn. Gen. p. 40.; 

 Wight Illustr. 1. p. 94.— Theaceae, Mh-b. Bull. Phil. (1813).— Camellieae, DC. Thdor. El^. ed. 1. 

 (1813) ; Prodr. 1. 529. (1824). 



Diagnosis. — Guttlferal Exogens, with simple alternate leaves, tvithout stipules or with very 

 small ones, syrnmetrical flowers, equilateral petals, versatile anthers, few or single 

 seeds, and stigmas on a long style. 

 Trees or shinibs. Leaves alternate, coriaceous, generally without stipules, usually 



undivided, now and then with pellucid dots. Peduncles axillary or terminal, articulated 



at the base. Flowers generally white, seldom pmk or red, occasionally polygamous. 

 Sepals 5 or 7, imbricated in cestivation, concave, coriaceous, deciduous, the innermost 

 often the largest. Petals 5, 6, or 9, not equal in number to the sepals, often combined 

 at the base. Stamens 00, hj-pogjaious ; filaments fihfoi*m, monadelphous or polyadel- 

 phous, or distinct ; anthers versatile, or adnate, 2-celled, opening longitudinally ; ovary 

 superior, with several cells ; styles from 3 to 7, filifonn, more or less combined ; ovules 

 pendulous, or erect, or peltate. Capsule •2-7-celled and capsular, with the deluscence 

 taking place in various ways ; sometimes coi'iaceous and indeliiscent ; usually with a 

 central column. Seeds attached to the axis, large, very few ; albmnen none, or 

 in very small quantity ; embryo straight, bowed, or folded back, the radicle tm'ned to 

 the hilum ; cotyledons very large, often filled with oil, occasionally plaited lengthwise ; 

 an aril sometimes present. 



This Order originated in 1813, with Mirbel, who separated some of its genera from 

 Citronworts, where they had been placed by Jussieu, and at the same time foimded 

 another closely aUied Order, under the name of Theads. These opuiions were substan- 

 tially adopted by Kunth and De Candolle. the latter of whom, moreover, formed several 

 sections among the genera. Since that tune the Theads have atti'acted the attention of 

 several Botanists, especially of M. Cambessedes, whose views are generally adopted. He, 

 how^ever, combines under this Order genera with axile and parietal placentation, with 

 truly albmninous and exalbuminous seeds, with large amygdaloid embryos, and those whose 

 embryo is too small to be easily found among its copious albumen, to say nothing of other 

 differences of considerable moment. It is therefore difficult to suppose that such an 

 arrangement can be maintained; and at least we must, I think, remove a genus 

 called Saurauja, consisting of about 30 Asiatic trees or sluiibs, in wiiich there is a ten- 

 dency to foiTU a monoj^etalous corolla, an infinite number of minute seeds, a very small 

 embryo lying m the base of abundant albumen, and anthers opening by pores ; it 



Fig. CCLXXIX.— Kielmeyera rosea. 1. the pistil; 2. a transverse section of it; 3. a ripe fruit; 4. embryo. 



