Berberales.] 



PITTOSPORACE^. 



441 



Order CLXI. PITTOSPORACE^.— Pittosporads. 



Pittosporese, R. Brown in Flinders' Voyage, 2, 542. (1814); DC. Prodr. 1. 345. (1824); Ach. Rich, in 

 Diet. Class 13. 643. (1828) ; Endl. Gen. ccxxxiv. j Meisner, Gen. 66. PuUerlick, Synopsis Pittospo- 

 rcariim, 1839. 



Diagnosis. — Berberal Exogens, with regular symmetrical flowers, axile and parietal 

 placentce, stametis alternate loitli the petals, ascending or horizontal ovules, and 

 imbricated petals. 



Trees or slirubs. Leaves simple, alternate, without stipules, usually entire, sometimes 

 serrated. Flowers terminal or axillary, , with imbricated aestivation. Sepals 4-5, 

 deciduous, either distmct or partially cohering. Petals 

 4-5, hypogynous, sometimes slightly cohermg. Stamens 

 5, hypogynous, distinct, alternate with the petals. Anthers 

 two-celled, opening longitudinally or by a pore. Ovary 

 single, distinct, with the cells or the placentae 2 or more 

 in number, and many, seeded ; style 1 ; stigmas equal in 

 number to the placentce ; ovules horizontal or ascending, 

 anatropal. Fiaiit capsular or bei-ried, with many-seeded 

 cells, which are sometimes incomplete. Seeds often 

 covered with a glutinous or resinous pulp ; embryo minute, 

 near the hilum, lying in fleshy albumen ; i*adicle rather 

 long ; cotyledons very short. 



Brown, in establishing this as an Order, remarks that 

 it is widely different from Rhamnads and Spindletrees, 

 but he seems to have been unable to point out its real 

 affinity ; De Candolle places it between Milkworts and 

 Frankeniads; accordhig to Achille Richard, it is very 

 near Rueworts, to which he thinks it alMed by a crowd of 

 characters. Endlicher puts it into his Frangulaceous 

 group. To me, however, it appears that the great mass 

 of albumen in the seeds, the nunute embryo, and the 

 general accordance of the flowers mth the sti*uctui*e of 

 Vrneworts, wliich is further estabUshed by the succulent 

 fruit and chmbing habit of Billardiera, seem to place Pit- 

 tosporads in the same Alhance as the Vine and Berberry. 

 The little genus Cheu-anthera fonns a transition from 

 Pittosporads to Dilleniads, at once curious and imexpected. 



Chiefly New Holland plants. A few occur in Africa and the adjacent islands, 

 and one in Nipal. Brown remarks that Pittosporimi itself has been found not only in 

 New Holland, but also ui New Zealand, Norfolk Island, the Society and Sandwich 

 Islands, the Moluccas, China, Japan, and even Madeii'a. They seem to be imknown in 

 America. 



The berries of Billardiera are eatable ; but they have a resinous odo'ur, and a bitter 

 subacrid taste. The bark of Pittosponim Tobira has a resinous smell, and this resinous 

 quality seems very general in the Order. Mr. Backhouse states that Billardiera muta- 

 bihs has a green cylindrical fruit, becoming of a hghter gi'een, or amber colour, when 

 ripe, possessmg a pleasant subacid taste ; but the seeds ai*e numerous and hard. 



Fig. CCCVII. 



Citriobatus,'^. Cunningh. 

 Pittosponim, Soland. 

 Schoutensia, Endl. 

 Bursaria, Cat: 

 Oncosporam, Putterl. 



GENERA 



Marianthus, Hilgel. 

 Cheiranthera, Cunning 

 Sollya, Lindl. 

 Pronaya, Hilgel. 

 Spiranthera, Hook. 



Campylanthera, Hook. 

 Billardiera, Smith. 

 Labillardiera, Rom. et 

 Schult. 



? Stachy urus, Sieb.et Zucc . 

 ?Koeberlinia, Zucc. 



Numbers. Gen. 12. Sp. 78. 



Position. — Olacaceae. 



DilleniacecB. 

 -Pi TT0SP0RACE.E. — Vitacefc. 

 Tremandracece. 



Fig. CCCVII.— 1. Cheiranthera linearis; 2. its pistil and stamens; 3. a cross section of its ovary; 

 4 a seed of Pittosponim undulatum, cut across to show the minute embryo. 



