51 6 SYSTEMATIC BOTAKY. 



black varnish, known in the Indian Archipelago nnder the name of Japan 

 Lacquer. 



Natural Order 77. Sabiaceje. — The Sabia Order. — Character. 

 — This is a small order of plants, containing but 2 genera and 

 9 species, which were formerly placed as doubtful genera of the 

 Anacardiacese ; but the Sabiace<s differ from the Anacardiacece, 

 in their stamens being opposite to the petals ; in their distinct 

 carpels ; in their solitary ovules being attached to the ventral 

 suture ; and in other characters. Miers and Blume regard the 

 Sabiacepe as related to Menispermacese and Lardizabalacese. 



Distribution, ^'c. — Natives of the East Indies. Their proper- 

 ties are altogether unknown. 



Natural Order 78. CoNNARACEiE. — The Connarus Order 



Character. — Trees or shrubs. Leaves alternate, without dots, 

 compound, and generally exstipulate. Flowers usually perfect, 

 rarely unisexual. Calyx 5-parted, imbricate or ralvate in 

 aestivation. Petals 5, inserted on the calyx, imbricate or valvate. 

 Stamens 10, usually monadelphous, nearly or quite hypogynous. 

 Carpels 1 or more ; ovules 2, sessile, collateral, ascending, ortho- 

 tropal. Fricit follicular. Seeds with or without albumen, arillat« 

 or exarillate ; radicle superior, at the extremity most remote 

 from the hilum. 



Distribution, ^-c. — Natives of the tropics, and most common 

 in tropical America. Examples of the Genera : — Connarus, Om- 

 phalobium. There are 42 species. 



Properties and Uses. — Some have oily seeds ; others have an 

 edible aril, as some species of Omphalobium, The zebra-wood of 

 the cabinet-makers is said by Schombm-gk to be furnished by Om- 

 phalobium Lambertii, a very large Gruiana tree. (See Guettarda.) 



Natural Order 79. Amyridace^. — The Myrrh and Frankin- 

 cense Order.— Character. — Trees or shrubs, abounding in a 

 fragrant gum-resinous or resinous juice. Leaves compound, fre- 

 quently dotted. Flowers perfect, or rarely unisexual. Calyx 

 persistent, with 2 — 5 divisions. Petals 3 — 5, arising from the 

 calyx below the disk ; (estivation valvate, or occasionally imbri- 

 cate. Stamens twice as many as the petals, perigynous. Disk 

 perigynous. Ovary 1 — 5-celled, superior, sessile, placed in or 

 upon the disk ; ovules in pairs, attached to a placenta at the 

 apex of the cell, anatropal. Fruit dry, 1 — 5-celled ; epicarp 

 often splitting into valves. Seeds exalbuminous ; radicle su- 

 perior, turned towards the hilum. 



Distribution, <^'c. — They have been only found in the tropical 

 regions of America, Africa, and India. Examjiles of the Genera : 

 — Boswellia, Balsamodendron, Amyris. There are about 55 

 species. 



Properties and Uses. — The plants of the order appear to be 

 almost universally characterised by an abundance of fragrant 

 resinous or gum-resinous juice. Some are considered poisonous ; 



