648 SYSTEMATIC BOTANY. 



occur in Afi-ica and some other regions. Examples : — Myzo- 

 dendron, Viscum, Loranthus. There are 25 genera, and 412 

 species. 



Properties and Uses. — Unimportant. Some are astringent. 



Viscum album is the Common Mistletoe. It is parasitic on many trees, as 

 Willows, Thorns, Lime, Elms, Oaks, Firs, and especially on Apple-trees, in 

 this country. The Mistletoe of the Oak was an object of superstitious vene- 

 ration by the Druids. Tlie fruit has a viscid pulp, which is employed for 

 making bird-lime. Its bark has astringent properties. 



Loranthus tetrandus, a native of Chili, produces a black dye. 



Natural Order 226. HELWiNGiACEiE. — This order only con- 

 tains a single known species, Helwingia ruscifolia, which is 

 a shrubby plant found in Japan, tlie leaves of which are em- 

 ployed as an esculent vegetable. Dr. Hooker places this genus 

 in the order Arahacese, but Lindley considers it as nearly allied 

 to Garryacere, from which it is cliiefly known by its alternate 

 stipulate leaves, fascicled flowers, and .'3 — 4-celled ovary. 



Natural Order 227. Garryace^. — The Garrya Order. 

 — Shrubs. Leaves opposite, exstipulate. Flowers unisexual, 

 amentaceous. Male flower with 4 sepals, and 4 stamens 

 alternating with them. Female flower with a superior, 2-toothed 

 calyx, a 1 -celled ovary with 2 styles and 2 pendulous stalked 

 ovules. Fruit indehiscent, baccate, 2-seeded. Embryo very 

 minute, albuminous. 



Distribution, Sfc. — Natives of the temperate parts of North 

 America, or of the West Indies. Examples: — Garrya, and 

 Fadgenia. These are the only genera ; they include 6 species. 

 They have no known properties. 



Natural Order 228. Juglandace.^:. — The Walnut Order (flgs. 

 1016 and 1017).— Trees. Leaves alternate, pinnate, exstipulate. 

 Flowers unisexual (fig. 1016). Male flowers in amenta (fig. 

 1016); ca/^:r 2- 6-partite, irregular. Female flowers solitary, 

 or in small terminal clusters ; cab/x superior, regular, 3 — 5- 

 lobed ; ovary inferior, 2 — 4-celled at the base, 1 -celled above ; 

 ovule solitary, erect. Fruit called a try ma (page 321). Seed 

 (fig. 1017), 2 — 4-lobed, without albumen ; embryo with sinuous 

 oily cotyledons, and a short superior radicle. 



Distribution, ^c- Chiefly natives of North America, but a few 

 are found in the East Indies, Persia, and tlie Caucasus. Juglans 

 regia, the Walnut tree, is a native of the countries between 

 Greece and Cashmere. Examples : — Juglans, Carya. There 

 arc 5 genera, and 27 species. 



Properties and Uses. — Chiefly important for their valuable 

 timber, and for their oily edible seeds. 



Jiifilanx — J. »•<•/?/«, the Walnut, is valuable for its hard, rich deep brown, 

 befuitiluily markcu wood. It is much employed In ornamental furniture work, 

 atid lor gun Ktocks. The seed of tliis plant is our well known edible Walnut. 

 'JMiis yields by ixprcs.xion a useful fixed oil ofa drying nature like Linseed 

 oil. It may he used for liurning in lamps and in cookery. The bark po scsscs 

 calhariic prcpenies. J. nigra, the Black Walnut, a Oi live of North America, 



