DICOTYLEDONES— DISCIFLOR.E 321 



transverse dehiscence. Disc conspicuous. Ovary S-celled ; 

 jjidcentas axile ; style 1. Fruit baccate, or consisting of 3 

 samaroid carpels. Seeds definite, exalbuminous ; evibryo 

 straight ; radicle mferior. This order is referred to Celastracece 

 by Bentliam and HooJier. 



Distribution and Numbers. — Tliey abound principally in 

 South America ; some are found also in Africa and the East 

 Indies. Illustrative Genera : — Hippocratea, Linn. ; Tontelea, 

 Alibi. There are about 86 species. 



Projjerties and Uses. — Very little is known generally of the 

 plants of this order. The fruit of several Brazilian species of 

 Tontelea is edible, and in Sierra Leone that of T. pyriformis is 

 described as very pleasant. Hippocratea comosa yields nuts of 

 an oily and sweet nature. The inner yellow bark of Kolxoona 

 zeylanica is employed in Ceylon as a febrifuge and sternutatory, 

 and as a dye. 



Order 109. Stackhousiace^, the Stackhousia Order.— Cha- 

 racter.— jfferfes or rarely shrubs, with simple, entire, alternate, 

 minutely stipulate leaves. Calyx 5 cleft, with its tube inflated. 

 Petals 5, united below into a tube, arising from the top of the 

 tube of the calyx, and having a narrow stellate limb. Stamens 

 5, distmct, of unequal length, perigynous. Ovary sui)erior, 3- 

 or 5-celled, each cell containing one erect ovule; styles 3 or 5. 

 distinct or united at the base. Fruit consisting of from 3 to 5 

 indehiscent carpels, attached to a central persistent column. 

 Seeds with fleshy albumen ; embryo erect ; radicle inferior. 



Distribution and Numbers. — Natives of Australia. Illus- 

 trative Genera : — Stackhousia, Smitli ; Tripterococcus, Endl. 

 There are about 20 species. 



Pi'operties and Uses. — Unknown. 



Order 110. Rhamnace.e, the Buckthorn Order. — C h a r a c t e r. 

 Shrubs or small trees, which are often spiny. Leaves simple, 

 alternate or rarely opposite ; stipules small or wanting. Flowers 

 small, usually perfect or sometimes unisexual. Calyx 4 — 5-cleft, 

 with a valvate aestivation. Disc fleshy, lining the tube of the 

 calyx. Petals equal in number to the divisions of the calyx, and 

 inserted into its throat, hooded or convolute, sometimes wanting. 

 Stamens perigynous, equal in number to the petals and opposite 

 to them, or alternate with the divisions of the calyx when the 

 petals are wanting. Ovary superior or half superior, immersed 

 in the disc, 2- 3- or 4-celled ; ovules one in each cell, erect. 

 Fruit dry and capsular, or fleshy and indehiscent. Seeds one 

 in each cell, erect, usually with fleshy albumen, but this is 

 VOL. II. y 



