THALAMIFLOKJE. 487 



at present being chiefly derived from an unknown species, a 

 native of New Granada, and which is called Savanilla Rhatany, 

 to distinguish it from that obtained from the Krameria triandra, 

 which is named Peruvian or Payta Rhatany. In France a 

 kind of Rhatany is used, which is procured from the Antilles; 

 this is known as West Indian Rhatany. Rhatany-root is used 

 in medicine as an astringent, and is well adapted to all those 

 diseases which require the employment of such medicines. It is 

 also employed, mixed with equal parts of orris-rhizome and 

 charcoal, as a tooth-powder. A saturated tincture of Rhatany- 

 root in brandy is called wine-colouring, and is used in Portugal 

 to give roughness to Port wines. 



Natural Order 43. Tremakdrace^e. — The Porewort Order. 

 — General Character. — Heath-like shrubs, with hairs usually 

 glandular. Leaves exstipulate, alternate or whorled. Flowers 

 axillary, solitary, pedicellate. Sepals 4 or 5, equal, slightly 

 coherent, deciduous, and with a valvate aestivation. Petals cor- 

 responding in number to the sepals, deciduous, and with an in- 

 volute asstivation. Stamens distinct, hypogynous, 8 — 10, 2 

 being placed before each petal; anthers 2 or 4-celled, with porous 

 dehiscence {Jig. 526). Ovary 2-celled; ovules 1 — Sin each cell, 

 pendulous; styles 1 or 2; stigmas 1 — 2. /'ru2Y 2-celled, a cap- 

 sule, with loculicidal dehiscence. Seeds pendulous, hooked at 

 their apex ; embryo straight, in the axis of fleshy albumen; 

 radicle next the hilum. 



Diagnosis. — Slender heath-like plants. Flowers solitary, 

 axillary, and regular. Calyx and corolla with a quaternary 

 or quinary arrangement, deciduous; aestivation of calyx val- 

 vate, of the corolla involute. Stamens distinct, hypogynous, 2 

 opposite to each petal; anthers 2 or 4-ceUed, with porous dehis- 

 cence. Fruit capsular, 2-celled. Seeds pendulous, hooked at 

 their apex; embryo straight, in the axis of fleshy albumen. 



Distribution, Sfc. — All are natives of New Holland. Ex- 

 amples : — Tetratheca, Tremandra, Platytheca. There are 3 

 genera, including 16 species. 



Properties and Uses. — Altogether unknown. 



Natural Order 44. Acerace^. — The Maple Order. — Gene- 

 ral Character. — Trees. Leaves opposite, simple, without 

 stipules; venation usually radiate, rarely pinnate. Flowers often 

 polygamous. Calyx with an imbricated aestivation, usually 5- 

 partite, occasionally 4 or 9 partite. Petals imbricated, corre- 

 ponding in number to the divisions of the calyx, or altogether 

 absent. Stamens usually 8, inserted on or around a fleshy 

 hypogynous disk. Ovary superior, 2-lobed, 2-celled ; style 1 ; 

 stigmas 2; ovules in pairs. Fruit a samara, 2-celled (fig. 688). 

 Seeds 1 or 2 in each cell, -udthout an aril, exalbuminous ; embryo 

 curved, with leafy wrinkled cotyledons, and an inferior radicle. 



Diagnosis. — Trees with opposite, simple, exstipulate leaves. 



