142 ILLUSTRATIONS OF INDIAN BOTANY. 



XCVIIL— SAPOTACEiE. 



This orJer, as first established by Jussieu, contained 9 genera, two of which have since 

 been cxchided; it now embraces 21, and above 200 species. Of these Alphonse De Candolle, 

 in his recent revision,, added several genera, and many hitherto undescribed species. The 

 order, for the most part, consists of trees and shrubs, abounding in milky juice, generally 

 natives of tropical countries in both the Old and New World. One of its most striking 

 peculiarities is found in the flowers, in which, with the exception of 2 or 3 genera, is found 

 a teries of petaloid appendages or sterile stamens, alternate with the fertile ones. These 

 nppendages are placed next the clefts of the corolla, the true stamens opposite the lobes, as 

 in MyrsineacecBy but with the anthers extrorse— that is opening outwardly towards the petal, 

 in place of inwardly towards the pistil. The fruit, which in some species is large, has some 

 resemblance to an apple, a hkeness sometimes even more apparent after being cut than 

 before, owing to the star-like form of the cells. That of several is edible, and a few most 

 delicious, among which I would place the Sappodilla plum. 



Chauacter of the Order. Caylx 5- or occasionally 4-8-lobed, valvate or imbricate 

 in iL'stivatlon. Corolla monopetalous hypogynous, regular, deciduous, its segments usually 

 equal in number to those of the calyx, seldom twice or thrice as many, imbricated in sestiva- 

 tion. Stamens inserted on the corolla, distinct ; usually partly fertile partly sterile, the former 

 equahng the number of lobes and opposite them, the latter alternate, sometimes twice as many, 

 rarely all fertile; anthers extrorse. Ovary superior, several-celled, cells usually opposite the 

 lobes of the calyx with a single erect or suspended ovule in each ; style one ; stigma undi- 

 vided or occasionally lobed. Fruit fleshy with several one-seeded cells, or, by abortion, only 



beeds nut-hke, sometimes adhering into a several-celled putamen ; testa bony, shining, 

 with a long scar on the inner face; embryo erect, large, white, usually enclosed in fleshy 

 albumen ; cotyledons, when albumen is present, foliaceous, when absent, fleshy and some- 

 times connate; radicle short, straight, or a little curved, turned towards the hilum.-Trees 



!vborW o^?- "' • ' *^«P'f .'^f^^'^ abounding in milky juice. Leaves alternate or almost 

 whorled, entire, coriaceous. Inflorescence axillary. Flowers hermaphrodite. 



one. 



ArriNiTiES. 



in(T Fhpr^nno^ 1,0V l-L a ^ \ I ^rP^ "prmieiy piacea between the Myrsineous group 



wlfheTddSon of ;!t TT' f ■}"' ^'™^^' '- '• ^^''^'''^' stamens opposite the petals, but 

 rh otLr lindTei W^^^^^ '^'" ! ones-agreeing also in their soft jfncy wood: while on 

 also of both t ?n m^nl in«r "^^'^^".^^ ^^^ «T^ ^^th solitary ovules of the latter. The corolla, 



P^intoeich other th^rf"^^ '^''''^^■'n ^^^ ""^^^ ^^''' ^ ^^^^^^' «eem almost insensibly to 

 fh^m iL tSee e^aVat^^^^^^ ^" essentially distinct. So distinct indeed that Lindley places 



cL^e nol^bt ofthe wfde fff • ^ '^ T'''^^ "^''^^''^ *« f«"^^ ^^^ «« f-'*' ^^^^ still there 

 charaters they seem son fl5r'!f''«^^^^^ ^ ^"^^^^ ^"^ ^" Ebinus, though In botanical 

 from each otSraTd from 111 Ithf' ^"* '?^ ^' ''^^'^' '^'"'^ ^^'7 ^'^ ^«^Ply distinct, both 

 Rhamnal aSe and rocrites w^^^^ ''"^'"'^ Lindley ^aces s/potacece in his 



with and some without albumen ^^1 bel ^.p"^'"' •""' and polypetalous flowered orders, some 



and Ulmus I confess I can^t trat' .11'/^%""^ '^ ^"- '^^^ connection between Sapota 

 n^A u:, „_„. " , "^'^ ^^ace, neither do I see verv rlpa.l^ ihn^ n.f„.„.« th;^ f^milv 



I see very clearly that between this family 



• 



fault may lie with me Id thp Z, ,• ^ i,^ "'"^ ™" " ""e alliance. But in this the 

 here placed, as f referable to thatT"lS tXTioeltl^Ih^'femr"""" '" """' "' " 



lowing brier^'mary. ''"Found withi^'il'!',"' •'" ^'f .En^iridion Botanicum, gives the fol- 

 m Australia,, the Cap's of Grd H™ "Nt.''?'!!." .""^ whole world, in sub-tropical regions 



species 



able scarcely aioZtTn^r^olna^^^^ J^\--^- of Indian _^ 



la Madagascar, the Mauritius and I.l. nf t^ ? ^" ^ America I believe exceed that number. 



nuus, and Isle of Bourbon, they are more numerous. Of the Indian 



