Ran ALES.] 



DILLENIACEiE. 



423 



Order CLIII. DILLENIACE^.— Dilleniads. 



Dillenlaceae, DC. Syst. 1. 395. (1S18); Prodr. 1 67; A. St. H. PI. Bras. 1 23 ; EiuU. Gen. clxxvii. ; 

 3Ieis7i. Gen. 2 ; Wight Illustr. 1.6. 



Diagnosis. — Ranal Exorjens, loith distinct carpels, no stipules, an imbricated corolla, 

 homogeneous albumen, and arillate seeds. 



Trees, shinibs, oi' under-sbrubs, rarely bei'baceous plants. Leaves usually alternate, 

 almost always without stipules, very seldom opposite, most commonly coriaceous, and 

 with strong veins rmming straight from the midrib to the margin, entii-e or toothed, often 

 separating from the base of the petiole, which remains adliering to the stem. Flowers 

 sohtary, in termmal racemes, or in panicles, often 

 yellow. Sepals 5, persistent, 2 exterior, 3 inte- 

 rior. Petals 5, imbricated, deciduous, hypogy- 

 nous in a single row. Stamens 00, hypogynous, 

 arising from a torus, either distinct or polyadel- 

 phous, and either placed I'egularly around the 

 pistil or on one side of it ; filaments dilated either 

 at the base or apex ; anthers adnate, 2-celled, 

 usually bursting longitudinally, always tui-ned in- 

 wards. Ovaries definite, more or less distinct, 

 with a tenninal style and simple stigma ; ovules 

 ascending, anatropal, sohtary, or several. Fruit 

 consisting either of from 2 to 5 distinct carpels, 

 or of a similar number cohering together, (now 

 and then one carpel only is present ;) the carpels 

 either baccate or 2-valved, pointed by the style. 

 Seeds fixed in a double row to the inner edge of 

 the carpels, either several or only 2, occasionally 

 sohtary by abortion ; siu'rounded by a pulpy aril. 

 Testa hard. Embryo minute, lying in the base 

 of sohd fleshy albumen. 



These are nearly akin to Magnoliads, from 

 which they are distinguished by their want of 

 stipules and the quinary arrangement of the 

 parts of fi-uctification ; also to Cro'tt'foots, from 

 which theu' persistent calyx, stamens, and whole 

 habit, in general divide them. They are univer- 

 sally characterised by the presence of an aril 



rovmd theh' seeds. The most genuine form of p. c^xciv. 



the Order is kno\\'n by the veins of the leaves 



running straight from the midrib to the margin. Some of the genera are remarkable 

 for having the stamens developed only half way rovmd the pistil, so that the central part 

 of the flower has a one-sided appearance. In this respect they tend towards Pittospo- 

 rads, where Cheh-anthera has also declinate stamens. To Anonads they also approach 

 in a variety of ways, especially m the genus Acrotrema, whose albumen is irregularly 

 indented upon the surface, as if it were approaching to a ruminated state. 

 ^ The genus Saurauja is usually stationed among Theads (Ternstromiacese), from 

 which its minute embi-yo, indefinite seeds, and very copious albumen remove it. From 

 Dilleniads it differs in the want of an aril, and in httle else that can be regarded as essen- 

 tial ; for its styles, which are divided to the very base, aff"ord conclusive oadence as to its 

 having a tendency to disunite its carpels. If it were not for that circumstance, and its 

 indefinite stamens, it might be placed among Heathworts, of which it has the embryo, the 

 mmute indefinite seeds, a tendency to form a monopetalous corolla, and anthers openmg 

 by pores. I can scarcely doubt that it forms a complete transition from the Ranal to 

 the Erical Alliance. « 



The larger part of this Order is found in Australasia, India, and equinoctial America ; 

 a comparatively small number is kno^\^l from equinoctial Africa. 



The plants of the Order are generally astringent. The Brazilians make use ot a 

 decoction of Davilla rugosa and Tetracera Breyniana and oblongata, m swelhngs ol the 



Fig. CCXCIV.— Candollea tetrandra. 

 carpel, showing the ariUate seeds. 



1. stamens and pistil; 2. pistU ; 3. section of a half- ripe 



