320 MANUAL OF BOTANY 



sparingly scattered over the globe. Only one species, the 

 common Holly, is found in Em-ope. Illustrative Genera : — Ilex, 

 Linn. ; Prinos, Linn. There are about 115 species. 



Pro])erties and Uses. — Bitter, tonic, and astringent properties 

 are those chiefly found in the plants of this order. Some are 

 emetic and purgative, while others are largely used as a kind of 

 Tea. 



Cohort 3. — Celastrales. 



Order 107. Celastrace^, the Spindle-tree Order.— Charac- 

 ter. — Shruhs or small trees. Leaves simple, generally alter- 

 nate, or rarely opposite, with small deciduous stipules. Sejyals 

 4 — 5, imbricate. Petals with imbricate sestivation, equal in 

 number to the sepals, inserted on a large disc ; sometimes 

 wanting. Stamens as many as the petals and alternate with 

 them, inserted on the disc ; anthers innate. Disc large, flat, 

 expanded. Ovary sessile, superior, surrounded by the disc, 2 — 

 5-celled, each cell with 2 ovules; ovules erect, with a short 

 stalk. Fruit superior, 2 — 5-celled, either drupaceous and inde- 

 hiscent, or capsular with loculicidal dehiscence. Seeds with or 

 without an aril ; albumen fleshy ; embryo straight ; radicle 

 short, inferior ; cotyledons flat. 



Diagnosis. — Shrubby plants, with simple leaves and small 

 deciduous stipules. Flowers small, regular, and perfect; or 

 rarel}^ unisexual by abortion. Sepals and petals 4 — 5, imbricate 

 in aestivation. Stamens equal in number to, and alternate with, 

 the petals, and inserted with them on a large flat expanded 

 disc. Ovary superior, sessile, surrounded by the disc. Fruit 

 superior, 2 — 5-celled. Seeds albuminous ; embryo straight ; 

 radicle inferior. 



Distribution and Numbers. — Chiefly natives of the warmer 

 parts of Asia, North America, and Europe ; they are also plenti- 

 ful at the Cape of Good Hope. Generally speaking, the plants 

 of the order are far more abundant out of the tropics than 

 in them. Illustrative Genera : — Euonymus, Linn. ; Celastrus, 

 Kunth. There are about 280 species. 



Projyerties and Uses. — Chiefly remarkable for the presence of 

 an acrid principle. The seeds of some contain oil. 



Order 108. Hippocrateace.e, the Hippocratea Order. — Cha- 

 racter. — Shrubs, with opposite simple leaves, and small deci- 

 duous stipules. Flowers small, regular, and unsymmetrical. 

 Sepals and petals 5, hypogynous, imbricate, the former per- 

 sistent. Stamens 3, hypogynous, monadelphous ; anthers with 



