THALAMLFLOR^. 489 



Properties and Uses.—Yevj little is known generally of the 

 plants of this order. Some have edible fruits; this is the case with 

 that of several species of Tontelea in Brazil, and in Sierra Leone 

 with the fruit of T. piriformis, which is described as very pleasant. 

 Hippocratea comosa yields nuts of an oily and sweet nature. 



Natural Order 46. MALPiGHiACE^.-rTheMalpighia Order. — 

 General Character. — Trees or- shrubs, often cUmbing. Leaves 

 usually opposite or whorled, rarely alternate; stipules generally 

 short and deciduous, sometimes larger and interpetiolar ; the 

 leaves are sometimes furnished with hairs, which are fixed by 

 their middle, that is, pehate (fiy. 128). Flowers perfect, or 

 polygamous. Calyx 5-partite, persistent, frequently with glands 

 at the base of one or all the divisions, imbricated, or rarely val- 

 vate. Petals 5, hypogynous, unguiculate; cestivation convolute. 

 Stamens usually 10, monadelphous or distinct; connective fleshy, 

 and elongated beyond the anther-lobes. Ovary generally con- 

 sisting of 3 carpels, (rarely 2 or 4), partially or wholly com- 

 bined; ovules 1 in each cell, pendulous from a long stalk; styles 

 3, distinct or united ; stigmas 3, simple. Fruit drupaceous, 

 samaroid, or a woody nut. Seed solitary, suspended, exal- 

 buminous {fig. 747); embryo straight, or variously curved. 



Diagnosis. — Trees or shrubs, Avith simple stipulate leaves. 

 Flowers perfect or polygamous. Calyx and corolla with 5 parts; 

 the sepals having usually large glands at the base, and imbricated 

 or very rarely valvate ; the petals unguiculate, without append- 

 ages, hypogynous, convolute. Stamens usually 10, sometimes 

 15, with a fleshy prolonged connective. Ovary usually com- 

 posed of 3 carpels, or in any case not corresponding in number, 

 or being any power of the three outer whorls; ovules solitary, 

 pendulous from long stalks. Seeds exalbuminous, usually with 

 a convolute embryo. 



Distribution, ^c. — They are almost exclusively natives of 

 tropical regions. Examples: — Malpighia, Byrsonima, Bunchosia, 

 Nitraria, Hiraea, Gaudichaudia. Lindley enumerates 43 genera, 

 and 556 species. 



Properties and Uses. — An astringent property appears to be 

 most general in the plants of this order. Some have edible 

 fruits; others are chiefly remarkable for their large showy 

 flowers; while some present anomalous stems, the peculiarity 

 of which consists in the presence of several woody axes without 

 annual zones; and either surrounded by a common bark, or 

 more or less separated from one another. The following may 

 be mentioned as the most important plants belonging to the 

 order : — 



'Malpighia glabra and punicifolia have edible fruits, which are used in the 

 West Indies as a dessert, under the name of Barbadoes Cherries. Some Mal- 

 pighias, and other plants of this order, have hai^s which sting severely. 



Byrsonima. — Some species have edible fruits. The fruit of B. spicata 

 {BoiS'tan) is used in dysentery. The Byrsonimas are however, principally re- 



