COROLLIFLOE^. G 1 3 



rancid. It is said to be employed to adulterate Almond Oil. The Oil is 

 kaiown as Til, Teel, Gingili, or Gingelly Oil. 



Natural Order 173. GESXERACEiE. — The Gesnera Order. — 

 Character. — Herbs or soft-\rooded sliriibs. Leaves wrmkled, 

 exstipulate, generally opposite or whorled. Flowers irregular, 

 showy. Cali/x half-superior, o-parted. Corolla 5-lobed. StamcnS 

 diandrous, or didynamous with the rudiment of a oth ; anthers 

 2-celled, frequently united. Ovary half-superior, 1-celled, sur- 

 rounded by an annular fleshy disk, or by glands ; stfjle 1 . Fruit 

 capsular or succulent, 1 -ceiled, with 2-lobed parietal placentas. 

 Seeds numerous, with or \^ithout albumen; embryo ^^ixh. minute 

 cotyledons, and a long radicle. 



Division of the Order, and Examples of the Genera. — The 

 order has been divided into two sub-orders as follows : — 



Sub-order 1. Gesnerece. — Fruit partially adherent to the calyx. 



Seeds with a little albumen. Examples: — Gesnera, Gloxinia. 

 Sub-order 2. CyrtandrecB. — Fruit not adherent to the calyx. 



Seeds exalbuminous. Examples: — ^schynanthus, Cyrtandra. 



Distribution and Numbers. — Chiefly natives of warm or tropical 

 regions. The Gesnerece are all American ; the Cyrtandrecu are 

 more scattered. There are about 290 species. 



Properties and, Uses. — Of little importance except for the 

 beauty of their flowers, which are common objects of cultivation 

 in this country. Some GesnerccB have edible fruits. 



Natural Order 174. CREsCENTiACEiE. — The Crescentia or 

 Calabash Tree Order. — Character. — Small trees. Lea ves 

 simple, alternate or clustered, exstipulate. Flowers irregular, 

 growing out of old branches or stems. Calyx free, entire at 

 flrst, afterwards splitting irregularly. Corolla somewhat bila- 

 biate. Stamens didynamous with a rudimentary oth ; anthers 

 2-celled. Ovary surrounded by an annular disk, l-celled ; 

 flaccntas 2 — 4, parietal; style 1. Fruit indehiscent, woody. 

 Seeds large, numerous, enveloped in pulp, without albumen; 

 cotyledons large, amygdaloid ; radicle short. 



Distribution, ^~c. — Natives exclusively of tropical regions. 

 Examples of the Genera : — Crescentia, Parmentiera. There are 

 34 species. 



Properties and C/se^.— Unimportant. The sub-acid pulp of 

 the fruit of Crescentia Cujete, the Calabash Tree, is eaten by the 

 negroes in America, and its hard pericarp is used for bottles, 

 forming floats, &c. The fruit of Parmentiera edulis is also 

 eaten by the Mexicans, and that of P. ccrifcra is also greedily 

 devoured by cattle in Panama. The latter resembles a can- 

 dle in shape, and hence the tree bearing it is named the Candle- 

 tree. 



Nattiral Order 175. Bigxoxiace^. — The Bignonia or 

 Trumpet-flower Order. — Character. — Usually trees or shrubs, 



