Lx. samydace.t:. 519 



Order LX. SAMYDACE^. 



Trees or slinibs. Leaves usually alternate and disliclious, petioIatf», 

 simple, entire or serrate, the teeth sometimes terminated by a gland; 

 stipules small or 0. Flowers i-egular, usually hermaphrodite, incon- 

 spiruous, fasciculate, racemose, or paniculate, pedicelled, the pedicels 

 articulated at the base, bracteolate. Calyx coriaceous, persistent ; tube 

 sliort or long, rarely adnate to the ovary ; lobes 3-7, imbricate or valvate. 

 Petals as many as the calyx-lobes or 0, perigynous, imbricate. Stamens 

 definite or indefinite, often alternating with staminodes, equidistant or 

 collected into fascicles op])osite to the petals ; filaments filiform or 

 capillary, free or connate at the base or throughout their entire length. 

 Ovary free or rarely adnate to the calyx-tube, sessile, 1-celled ; ovules 

 very many or few, attached to 2-5 (usually 3) parietal placentas ; style 

 ], capitate or 3-fid at the apex, or styles 2-5, simple or capitellate. 

 Fruit capsular or rarely indehiscent, 1-celled, 1 -many-seeded, 2-5- 

 (usually 3-) valved at the apex or throughout its entire length, the valves 

 alternating with the placentas. Seeds usually few (always fewer than 

 the ovules), oblong or angular, albuminous, usually arilled ; cotyledons 

 oblong, orbicular or cordate, often fohaceous ; radicle very short or 

 elongate and terete. — Disteib. Throughout the Tropics of both hemi- 

 spheres, rare in subtropical regions ; genera 1 7 ; species 150. 



Flowers in axillary fascicles. Petals 1. Ca«karia. 



Flowers in axillary and terminal racemes. Petals 4 or 5 2. Homai.ium. 



1. CASE ARIA, Jacq. 



Shrubs or small trees. Leaves alternate, distichous, entire or serrate, 

 often marked with pellucid dots or lines ; stipules small, lateral, caducous. 

 Flowers small (clustered in the axils in the Indian species); pedicels 

 articulated above the base. Calyx inferior, deeply 4-5-Iobed ; lobes 

 imbricate, obtuse, persistent. Petals 0. Stamens G-15 (rarely 20-40), 

 inserted on the tube or at the base of the calyx, alternating with as many 

 staminodes ; filaments free or connate into a ring at the base with one 

 another and the staminodes ; connective sometimes penicillate at the 

 apex. Ovary free, ovoid, 1-celled ; OA'ules many, parietal ; style short ; 

 stigma capitate, or stigmas 3. Capsule succulent, globose or ellipsoid 

 (when dry sometimes 3-angular or 6-ribbed), 3- rarely 2-valved. Seeds 

 manv, angular or obovoid, with a fleshy usually colored aril ; testa 

 coriaceous or crustaceous ; albumen fleshy ; embryo straight ; cotyledons 

 oblong or orbicular, flat ; radicle terete. — Distrib. Warmer parts of the 

 globe, most abundant in America; species SO. 



Small trees. 



Stipules Ions, lanceolate-subulate. 



Jjcaves glabrous ; calyx pubescent ; lobes oblong ; style ,'b in. 



long 1. C , gravcolc7is. 



Stipules minute, scale-like. 



LeaTCS and calyx glabrous; caljx -lobes suborbicular ; style 



almost ' 2. C. escidenta. 



Leaves and calyx pubescent; calyx-lobes elliptic ; style j'a in. 



long 3. C. tomenfom. 



A shrub 4-6 ft. high 4. C. ruhescens. 



