THATAMirLOH^. 4^9 



Character. — Heath -like shrtibs, with usually glandular hairs. 

 Leaves exstipulate, alternate or whorled. Flowers axillary, 

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

 deciduous, and -vrith a valyate sestivation. Petals corresponding 

 in number to the sepals, deciduous, and with an involute aesti- 

 Tation. Stamens distinct, hypogynous, 8 — 10, 2 being placed 

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

 {fig. 524). Ovary 2-celled ; ovules 1 — 3 in each cell, pendulous ; 

 styles 1 or 2 ; stigmas 1 — 2. Fruit 2-celled, a capsule, 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 ; sestiration of calyx val- 

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

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

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

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



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

 amples of the Genera: — Tetratheca, Tremandra. The order in- 

 cludes 16 species. 



Properties and Uses. — Altogether unknown. 

 Natural Order 44. AcEEACE^ii;. — The Maple Order. — Charac- 

 ter. — Trees. Leaves opposite, simple, without stipules ; venation 

 usually radiate, rarely pinnate. Flowers often polygamous. 

 Calyx with an imbricated aestivation, usually 5-partite, occa- 

 sionally 4 or 9-partite. Petals imbricated, corresponding 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. 690). Seeds 1 or 

 2 in each cell, without an aril, exalbuminous ; embryo curved, 

 with leafy wrinkled cotyledons, and an inferior radicle. 



Diagnosis. — Trees with opposite simple exstipulate leaves. 

 Flowers unsymmetrical. Sepals and petals imbricated, the 

 latter without any appendages on their inside. Stamens hj-po- 

 gynous, on a fleshy disk ; anthers bm-sting longitudinally ; ovary 

 superior, 2-celled. Fruit a samara, 2-celled, each cell contain- 

 ing 1 or 2 seeds. Seeds without an aril, exalbuminous ; embryo 

 curved, with an inferior radicle. 



Distribution, i^x: — The plants of this order are natives of the 

 temperate parts of Europe, Asia, and North America. None 

 have been found in Africa and the southern hemisphere. Ex- 

 amples of the Genera: — Acer, Negxmdo. There are 60 species. 

 Properties and Uses. — These plants are chiefly remarkable for 

 their saccharine sap. Their light and handsome timber is also 

 much used in turnery, for certain parts of musical instruments, 

 and for other purposes ; and their bark is astringent, and is 



