DICOTYLEDONES— CALYCIFLOR.E 343 



Properties and Uses. — Of little importance except for their 

 edible seeds. 



Order 135. Callitrichace.e, the Starwort Order. — Charac- 

 ter. — Small aquatic herbs. Leaves simple, opposite, entire. 

 Flowers minute, axillary, solitary, unisexual, achlamydeous. 

 Male flower of 1 — 2 stamens ; anthers reniform. Female Jiower 

 with a 4-cornered, 4- celled ovary, with 1 pendulous ovule in 

 each cell. Fruit mdehiscent, 4-celled. Seeds 4, pendulous, with 

 fleshj' albumen ; embryo inverted, with a very long superior 

 radicle. 



Distribution. — Natives of freshwater pools in Europe and 

 North America. Callitriche is the only genus; it includes 

 several species or varieties. 



Properties and Uses. — Unknown. 



Cohort ^.—Myrtales. 



Order 136. Ehizophorace.e, the Mangrove Order. — 

 Character. — Trees or shrubs. Leaves simple, opposite, dotless 

 or rarely dotted, with deciduous interpetiolar stipules. Calyx 

 superior, 4 — 12-lobed, with a valvate aestivation, the lobes 

 sometimes united so as to form a calyptra. Petals arising from 

 the calyx, alternate with its lobes and equal to them in number. 

 Stamens on the calyx, twice or thrice as many as its lobes, or 

 still more numerous. Oi?rtr// mferior, 2- 3- or 4-celled, each cell 

 with 2 or more ovules. Fruit indehiscent, 1-celled, 1 -seeded, 

 crowned by the calyx. Seeds pendulous, exalbuminous, usually 

 germinating while the fruit is still attached to the tree. 



Distribution and Numbers. — -Natives of muddy seashores 

 in tropical regions. Illustrative Genera : — Rhizophora, Lam. ; 

 Bruguiera, Lam. There are about 20 species. 



Properties and Uses. — Generally remarkable for their astrin- 

 gent properties, whence they are used for dyeing and tanning ; 

 they are also used medicinally for their febrifugal and tonic 

 properties . 



Order 137. Combretace^, the Myrobalans Order. — C h a r a c- 

 ter. — Trees or shrubs. Leaves alternate or opposite, exstipu- 

 late, entire, without dots, Flowers perfect or unisexual. Calyx 

 superior, with a 4 — 5-lobed deciduous limb. Petals equal in 

 number to, and alternate with, the lobes of the calyx ; often 

 absent. Stamens inserted with the petals on the calyx, gene- 

 rally twice as numerous as its lobes, or thrice as many, or 

 sometimes equal to them in number ; anthers 2-celled, with 

 longitudinal or valvular dehiscence. Ovary inferior, 1-celled, 



