468 



CONNARACE^. 



[Hypogynous Exogens. 



Order CLXXV. CONNARACE^.— Connarads. 



Terebintaceae, Jiiss. Geti.368. (1789) in par?,— Connaraceae, R. Brown in Cango,4Sl. (1818) ; Kunth in 

 Ann. Sc. Nat. 2. 359 ; Endl. Gen. ccxMi. ; Meismr Gen. 78 ; Wight Illustr. 1. 162. 



-Rutal Exogens, y^ith apocarpous fruit, and collateral ascending orthotropal 

 ovules. 



DlAGNOSIS.- 



Trees or shrubs, sometimes climbing. Leaves compound, not dotted, alternate, with- 

 out stipules. Flowers tenninal and axillary, in racemes or panicles, with bracts, , 



rai'ely $ '^ hy abortion. Calyx 5-parted, 

 regular, persistent ; aestivation either imbri- 

 cate or vahnilar. Petals 5, inserted on the 

 calyx, imbricated, rarely valvate in aestiva- 

 tion. Stamens twice the number of petals, 

 hypogjTious, those opposite the petals shorter 

 than the others ; filaments usually monadel- 

 phous. Carpels solitary, or several, each 

 mth a separate style and stigma ; o\Tiles 2, 

 collateral, orthotropal, ascending ; styles ter- 

 minal ; stigmas usually dUated. Fruit dehis- 

 cent, folhcular, sphtting length^vise internally. 

 Seeds erect, in pairs, or soUtary, with or 

 without albvunen, often with an arU ; radicle 

 superior, at the extremity opposite the hilum; 

 cotyledons thick in the species without albu- 

 men, foUaceous in those wdth albumen. 



Brown says that the genus Connarus can 

 only be distinguished from leguminous plants 

 by the relation the paii;s of its embryo bear 

 to the umbihcus of the seed ; that is to say, 

 by the radicle being at the extremity most 

 remote from the hilum. This observation 

 must, however, be understood to refer only to some particulai' cases among leguminous 

 plants, and also to the fructification ; the want of stipules and regular flowers being 

 usually sufficient to distinguish Connarads. From Anacards and others they are at 

 once known by the total want of resinous juice, and their orthotropal ovules. Brown 

 considers that Cnestis approaches Averrhoa in Oxahds, and this genus, according to 

 Adrien de Jussieu, is allied to Xanthoxyls tlii'ough BrunelUa. Cnestis has a valvate 

 calyx, and some albumen about its embryo. Dr. Wight, who has had opportunities of 

 studj'ing the Order, observes that the hypogjoious insertion of the stamens and the 

 5-celled ovary, on a gjTiobase, of Connarus and Cnestis, indicate a very close approach 

 to Xanthoxyls. 



The species are all tropical, and most conmion in America, according to EndUcher. 

 The aril of some species of Omphalobium is eatable, and then* seeds oily. Eurycoma 

 longifolia, the Punowm' Pait of Malacca, is regarded by Oxley as a valuable febrifuge. — 

 Ch'iffith. The beautiful Zebra-wood of the cabinet-makers has been ascertained by 

 Sehomburgk to be produced by Omphalobium Lamberti, a lai'ge Guiana tree. Dr. 

 Wight says that they are handsome flowering shrubs, conspicuous for their bright red 

 capsules. 



GENERA. 

 Connarus, Zinn. I Mai6r«wcia, Neck. ] Connarus, Kvcaih. l Cnestis, Jmw. 



Rourea, Xabl. Santaloides, Linn. Bprsocai'pus, SchxiTn. \?Thysa,nus, Lour. 



Roberg i a, Schreb. I Omphalobium, &'arf/j. i Tapomana, Adans. 1 ? Eurycoma, Jacft. 



Fig. CCCXXV. 



Numbers. Gen. 5. Sp. 41. 



Fahacece. 

 Position. — Anacardiacese. — Connarace^.- 



Fig. CCCXXV.— Connarus pinnatus.— Wight. 1. a flower ; 2. stamens and pistil ; 3. ovarj- opened 

 perpendicularly ; 4. a cross section of it ; 5. half a seed-vessel ; 6. cross section of an embryo. 



