Berberales.] 



OLACACE^. 



443 



Order CLXII. OLACACEiE.— Olacads. 



Olacinese, Mirb. Bull. Philom. n. 75. 377. (1813) ; DC. Prodr. 1. 531. (1824) ; Bartl. Ord. Nat. p. 423. 

 (1830^ ; Endl. Gen. ccxxiii. ; Bentham in Linn. Trans. 18. 676 ; Wight, lllustr. 1. t. 40. 



Diagnosis. — Berheral Exogens, wiih'regular symmetrical flowers, axile placentce, stamens 

 alternate tenth the petals, pendulous ovules, and valvate corolla. 



Trees or shrubs, often spiny. Leaves simple, alternate, entire, without stipules ; 

 occasionally altogether wanting .(rarely compound). Flowers small, axillary, often 

 fragrant. Caly.x small, entu-e, or 

 slightly toothed, finally becoming, 

 in many cases, enlarged. Petals 

 definite, hypogjTious, valvate in 

 aestivation, either altogether sepa- 

 rate, or cohering in pairs by the 

 intervention of stamens, often 

 ha\nng thick matted hairs along the 

 middle vein or on some other part. 

 Stamens usually part fertile, part 

 sterile ; the former varying in num- 

 ber from 3 to 10, hypogjuous, 

 usually cohering with the petals, 

 and alternate with them ; the latter 

 opposite the petals, to which they 

 in part adhere, their upper end 

 resembling an appendage ; filaments 

 compressed ; anthers innate, oblong, 

 2-celled, bursting longitudinally. 

 Ovary free, or partially adherent, 

 seated in a disk, which is sometimes 

 small and sometimes thickened and 

 united with the calyx ; 1 -celled, or 

 occasionally impei-fectly 3- 4-celled, 

 or 3-celled out of the centre ; 

 ovules 2, 3 only, or even 1 only, either pendulous from the apex of free placentae or 

 adherent to the ovary or the spurious dissepiments, pendulous, anati'opal. — Btnth. Style 

 filiform ; stigma simple. Fruit somewhat drupaceous, indehiscent, frequently sur- 

 rounded by the enlarged calyx, 1 -celled, 1 -seeded. Seed pendulous ; albumen large, 

 fleshy ; embryo small, in the base of albumen or in the axis, with very short cotyledons, 

 its radicle near the hilum. 



If we neglect the internal structure of the seed the present Order will stand, as De 

 Candolle supposes, near Citronworts ; if we suppose the tendency of the corolla to be 

 towards a monopetalous condition with epipetalous stamens, then it must be stationed, 

 with Jussieu, near Sapotads ; those who undervalue the pei-fect adhesion of the calyx 

 and the ovary will pronovmce the nearest aftinity to be with Sandalworts ; but if the 

 condition of the embryo and albumen are considei'ed, a very different view will be enter- 

 tained of its affinity, and Humiriads, if they really have a small embryo and copious 

 albumen, will be fixed upon as the true point of nearest resemblance. To the latter 

 opinion I adhere ; and I am glad to find that Mr. Bentham joins in it. In fact, if it 

 were not for the great dilated connective of the Humiriads, their somewhat imbricated 

 corolla, more mmierous stamens and balsamic secretions, I hardly know how they could 

 be distmguished. They obviously agree with the Berberal Alliance, in the anisomerous 

 structure of their flowers, and must be regarded as near allies of Canellacese, if indeed 

 that supposed Order does not in reahty belong to them. See p. 442. 



A .small Order, consisting of tropical or nearly tropical shrubs, chiefly found in the 

 East Indies, New Holland, and Africa. One only is known m the West Indies. A few 

 are from the Cape of Good Hope. 



It is often said that the wood of Heisteria coccinea is the Partridge-wood of the 



Fig. CCCVIII.— Apodytes dimidiata. 1. a flower; 2. a corolla spread open; 3. a pistil; 4. section of 

 an ovary ; 5. section of ripe fruit. 



Fig. CCCVIII. 



