THALAMIFLOEiE. 497 



eaten, the seeds being poisonous. The fruits of C. myrtifolia and 

 ruscifolia are very poisonous ; these plants have been employed 

 by dyers in the production of a black dye. The leaves of C. 

 myrtifolia have been used on the Continent to adulterate Senna. 

 This is a most serious adulteration, as such leaves are poisonous. 

 They owe their poisonous properties to a glucoside called coria- 

 myrtine. They may be at once distinguished from Senna-leaflets 

 by their two sides being equal and symmetrical at the base, while 

 .those of Senna are unequal. Chemically they are also distin- 

 guished from Senna, by their infusion producing a very abundant 

 blue precipitate on the addition of sulphate of iron. 



Natural Order 63. Simarl-bace^. — The Quassia or Simaruba 

 Order. — Character. — Shrubs or trees. Leaves without dots, 

 alternate, compound, or sometimes simple, exstipulate. Flowers 

 regular and symmetrical, axillary or terminal, perfect, or uni- 

 sexual by abortion. Calyx imbricated, in 4 or 5 divisions. 

 Petals equal in number to the divisions of the calyx, with an 

 imbricated aestivation, sometimes imited into a tube. Stamens 

 twice as many as the petals, each inserted on a hypogynous 

 scale ; anthers with longitudinal dehiscence. Ovary stalked, 

 4 or 5-lobed, 4 or 5 -celled, each cell with 1 suspended ovule ; 

 style simple ; stigma with as many lobes as there are cells to the 

 ovary. Fruit of 4 or 5 indehiscent, 1-seeded, drupaceous car- 

 pels, arranged round a common axis. Seed pendulous, with 

 a membranous integument, exalbuminous, radicle superior, 

 retracted within thick cotyledons. 



Diagnosis. — Trees or shrubs, with alternate exstipulate leaves, 

 without dots. Flowers hypogynous, regular, symmetrical, with 

 imbricated aestivation. Calyx, corolla, and andrcecium, with a 

 quaternary or quinary distribution of their parts ; each of the 

 stamens arising from a hypogynous scale, and with anthers burst- 

 ing longitudinally. Ovary stalked, 4 or o-celled ; style simple ; 

 stigma 4 or o-lobed. Fruit of 4 or 5 indehiscent, 1-seeded 

 drupes, placed round a common axis. Seeds pendulous, exal- 

 buminous, radicle superior. 



Distribution, ^'c. — With the exception of one plant, which is 

 a native of Nepaul, they are all foimd in the tropical parts of 

 India, America, and Africa. Examples of the Genera : — Quassia, 

 Simaruba, Ailanthus. There are about 50 species. 



Projyerties and Uses. — A bitter principle is the most remark- 

 able characteristic of the order ; hence many of them are tonic 

 and febrifugal. The more important plants are as follows : — 



Ailanthus. — The bark of A. excelsa is regarded in India as a tonic and 

 febrifuge. The bark of A. malabarica, when incised, yields an aromatic 

 gum-resinous substance, which is emplo3-ed in dysentery, and as incense in the 

 East Indies. The leaves of A. gland ulosa are the favourite food of the sUk 

 moth {Bombyx Cynthia). 



Brucea quassiokles. a native of the Himalayas, has a very bitter root, 

 which forms a good substitute for Quassia. 

 K K. 



