ILLUSTRATIONS OF INDIAN BOTANY. 145 
XXXIX:—MELIACEA. 
This order is found generally distributed over the tropical parts of the globe, but of rare 
occurrence beyond the 40th degree of latitude. It consists principally of trees and shrubs, 
rarely of herbaceous plants, with alternate, rarely opposite, petioled, simple or compound, im- 
punctate leaves, with or without stipules, and bisexual flowers, apparently disposed in racemes, 
corymbs, or panicles, but when more carefully examined found to consist of a regular series of 
dichotomies. The primary divisions for example are alternate, but each of the subdivisions 
soon become opposite, with a precocious subsessile flower in the fork. In this manner the ter- 
minal ramifications present the flowers in groops of three together, the middle one nearly ses- 
sile, and the lateral ones peduncled ; the central flower opening before the side ones, hence, the 
inflorescence proceeds from the centre to the circumference, (centrifugal) and not from the cir- 
cum ference to centre (centrepe‘al) thus constituting true cymes, the reunion of which imitates, 
but does not constitute true panicles. This centrifugal inflorescence can be more or less distinctly 
traced through the whole order, for even in those cases where reduced to a solitary flower, still 
the peduncle is furnished with several bracts showing the compound tendency. This arrange- 
ment of the inflorescence, the researches of M. Adrian de Jussieu have shewn to be an important 
character. The following character of the order is taken from Jussieu’s memoir. 
Calyx 3-4-5 cleft. Petals the same number, longer, free, or more or less intimately united 
at the base to each other or to the staminal tube. Stamens double the number, the filaments 
united into a tube, with the anthers opening inwards, inserted on a hypogynous disk, filaments 
flat, bidentate at the apex, with the anther attached in the middle between the teeth, disk 
various in form. Style and stigma simple, stigma capitate, or pyramidal, lobed or angled, 
petals, sometimes fewer, (3-2) rarely multiples, (10-20) with 2, rarely | or 4 ovules. Fruit 
various, fleshy, baccate or drupacious, indehiscent, or capsular, with valvate dehiscence, the 
cells usually ]-seeded by abortion. Seed with or without an arillus, never ‘winged or flat 
albumen fleshy, (Meliew) or oftener wanting ( 7richiliee) in the former, cotyledons foliaceous, 
with the radicle exserted, in the latter thick or conferuminated, with the radicle short and re- 
tracted between them. i 
' Arrinitiss. The most nearly related order is Cedrelacee, with which, this was united 
until separated by Adr. de Jussieu for reasons which cannot but be considered satisfactory in the 
present state of the science, though still such as to render their proximity in the series quite in- 
dispensable as they have many characters in common, they differ principally in the polyspermous 
fruit and compressed winged seed of Cedrelaceae, to which may be added, the axillary inflorescence 
_ of the one and the terminal of the other. The affinity existing between Meliacee@ and 4urantiacee, 
is shown by the dichotomous inflorescence common to both, andin the union of the filaments ob- 
served in a few genera of Jurantiacee. Some more remote affinities are observed between this 
order and Guttifere. The Rutacee are distinctly allied by their staminal arrangement, the sta- 
mens in some being inserted into large bifid scales, which form an in ependent verticel, and 
still more by the two ovules in the cells of the ovary, exclusive of some minor points, but which 
taken together form a considerable analogy between the two. With Sapindacee a close afli- 
nity exists in the structure of the flowers and general habit of the plants, while the stracture 
of the seed is absolutely the same. Some remote affinities can also be traced between this an 
Terebinthacee. ws 
Groegrapnican Distripution. This is mainly a tropical order, only two or three species 
° on either side of the line, but becoming more abundant as we approach 
early equal, and so far as is yet 
Africa. this may be owing to the 
the othertwo. The 
