THE GARDENIA AND COFFEE FAMILY. 159 



forests throughout the Colony. It grows to forty feet 

 in height, with a dark- coloured smooth bark. The 

 leaves are ovate, i.e. broad towards the base, or " egg- 

 shaped," and dentate, i.e. toothed along the margins. 

 The flowers are small in terminal clusters. 



The wood is described as solid,^ very tough, heavy, 

 and close-grained and durable, resembling mahogany, 

 being very useful for waggons, etc. 



The flower will be at once seen to have an inferior 

 ovary and a superior calyx of four small triangular 

 sepals. There are four petals, hairy outside and 

 valvate in the bud, and four stamens. 



The exposed part of the ovary at the top forms 

 a honey-disc, from the middle of which rises the style 

 with four stigmas. 



The fruit is a druipe'^ with four cells, having one 

 seed in each cell, the lining of which is stony. 



DIVISION IV.— GAMOPETALiE. 



RubiaceaB. 



The Gardenia and Coffee Family. 



This order contains 4100 species of 337 genera in 

 25 tribes ; but South Africa has only 25 genera. It 



^ This applies to many South African woods. It is due to the 

 dryness of the climate. 



- i.e. a " stone fruit " having a soft, fleshy exterior part and a hard, 

 stony interior, as a peach or plum. 



