470 SYSTEMATIC BOTANY. 



a native of Corotnandel, yields a gum of a similar nature, which is called Gum 

 Kutteera. (See also Cochlo$,permum Gosstjpium, p. 456.) The fruit, seeds, 

 leaves, or bark of other species of Sterculia, are also used for various purposes 

 as medicinal agents in different parts of the globe. The seeds of all the species 

 contain a fixed oil, which may be used for burning in lamps, &c. According 

 to Hooker, S. villosa and S. guttata yield fibres, from which ropes of excellent 

 quality, and cloth are made. 



Natural Order 30. Byttneriace^. — The Chocolate Order. 

 — General Character. — Trees, shrubs, or undershrubs, some- 

 times climbing. Leaves simple, alternate, with usually deciduous 

 stipules. Calyx A — 5-lobed, valvate. Coro//a absent, or having 

 as many petals as there ai*e lobes to the calyx, either twisted or 

 induphcate in aestivation, permanent or deciduous. Stamens 

 hypogynous, equal in number to the petals and opposite to 

 them, or twice as numerous, or indefinite ; when the stamens 

 are more numerous than the petals some are always sterile ; 

 filaments more or less united ; anthers 2- celled, introrse. Ovary 

 sessile or stalked, composed of 4 — 10 carpels united round a 

 central column ; style simple ; stigmas equal in number to the 

 carpels ; ovules 2 in each cell. Fruit usually capsular with a 

 loculicidal dehiscence, or indehiscent, or the fruit separates into 

 its component parts when ripe — that is, in a septicidal manner. 

 Embryo generally lying in a small quantity of fleshy albumen, 

 straight or somewhat curved ; cotyledons plaited or spiral. 



Diagnosis. — The only orders likely to be confounded with 

 this, are the Sterculiaceae, Malvacese, and Tiliaceoe. From the 

 former, it is at once distinguished by its introrse anthers, and by 

 the stamens being definite, or if more numerous than the petals, 

 some of them being always sterile. From the Malvacece, it is 

 known by its 2-celled anthers, by the stamens being frequently 

 equal in number to the petals and opposite to them, or if more 

 numerous some of them being sterile, and also from the fila- 

 ments not being united into so evident a column. From the 

 Tiliaceoe, it is distinguished readily by its monadelphous stamens, 

 and by the absence of a disk. 



Distribution, ^c. — They are chiefly tropical plants, but some 

 species of the order are found scattered in almost every quarter 

 of the globe, except Europe. Examples : — Lasiopctalum, 

 Abroma, Byttneria, Theobroma, Guazuma, Hermannia, Dom- 

 bcya, Eriolaena. There are 45 genera, and 400 species. 



Properties and Uses. — The plants have properties resembling 

 the Malvacc£c and Sterculiaceaj : thus, some are mucilaginous, 

 as the Waltheria Douradinha, the species of Pterospermums, 

 the young bark of Guazuma nlmifulia, and the bark of Abroma 

 angustum, Dombcya spectabilis, &c. The fruit of Guazuma 

 vlmifi)lia contains a sweetish, mucilaginous, agreeable pulp, Avliich 

 is eaten in Brazil. By far the most important plant of the 

 order is 



Theobroma Cacao, the Cacao or Cocoa Tree. — This tree is a native of 

 Demerara and Mexico, and it is extensively cultivated in the West Indies, &c. 



