298 MANUAL OF BOTANY 



bling the Malvaceae, alwaj's, however, having five parts ; but 

 the petals are sometimes absent. Stamens usiiallj' united by 

 their filaments into a column, and indefinite, or rarely few 

 and distinct ; antliers usually 2-celled, or rarely 1-celled. 

 Carpels 8 or 5, either distinct or united so as to form a com- 

 pound ovary, sessile or stalked, or rarely more numerous or 

 solitary ; shjles equal in number to the carpels, distinct or 

 united; ovules usually definite, sometimes indefinite. Fruit 

 either composed of a number of follicles, or capsular, or rarely 

 baccate. Seeds with fleshy-oily albumen or none ; embryo 

 straight or curved ; cotyledons either plicate or rolled round the 

 plumule. 



The order Byttneriacese of some botanists is here included in 

 Sterculiacese. 



Diagnosis. — The plants of this order are at once known 

 among the Thalamiflorse by their valvate 5-partite calyx ; twisted 

 corolla consisting of 5 distinct petals ; numerous perfect stamens 

 united by their filaments into a column ; and usually by their 

 2-celled anthers. The character presented by the anthers should 

 be particularly noticed, as that alone, in most cases, at once 

 distinguishes them from the MalvaceBB, which in many other 

 respects they closely resemble ; indeed the Sterculiacese have 

 been combined with the Malvace*. It should, however, also be 

 observed, that the flowers of some of the Sterculiaceae are 

 unisexual by abortion. 



Distribution and Numbers. — Natives chiefly of the tropics or 

 of very warm regions ; but some of the species are found scat- 

 tered in almost every quarter of the globe, except Europe. 

 Illustrative Genera: — Sterculia, Lifin.; Helicteres, Linn.; 

 Theobroma, Li7in. There are more than 500 species belonging 

 to this order. 



Projyerties and Uses. — In their properties the plants of 

 this order resemble the Malvaceae : thus, they are generally 

 mucilaginous, demulcent, and emollient ; some have a hairy 

 covering to their seeds ; and others yield useful bast-fibres. 

 The cottony covering of their seeds; and the fibres yielded by 

 certain plants of this order, are not, however, to be compared in 

 importance with the similar products of the Malvaceae. Some 

 plants are reputed to be diuretic, emetic, or purgative. 



Order 84. TiliacevE, the Lime-tree or Linden Order. — 

 Character. — Trees, shrubs, or rarely herbs. Leaves simple, 

 alternate, with deciduous stipules. Sejmls 4 or 5, distinct or 

 united, valvate in aestivation, deciduous. PefaZs equal in number 



