451 



Order XLYI. CONNARACEiE (by Mr. J. G. Baker). 



Flowers usually hermaphrodite, reo^ular or nearly so. Calyx quinquepar- 

 tite, persis<^ent, valvate or imbricated. Petals 5, li^late and longer than 

 the calyx or rotundate-cuneate and shorter, usually imbricated, free or 

 slightly coherent. Stamens perigynous or hypofrynous, 5 or more usually 10, 

 the alternate ones in that case (those opposite the petals) considerablv 

 shorter than the others and frequently imperfect ; filaments filiform, ofleli 

 monadelphous at the base ; anthers short, didymous, the dehi>ce!ice introrse, 

 sometimes turned round at length. Disk or thin, surrouiuk-d by the bn»e 

 of the stamens. Carpels usually 5, rarely 1-3, free, hairy, 1 -celled. Style 

 subulate or filiform ; stigma subcapitate, simple or 2-lobed. Ovules 2, colla- 

 teral, ascending from the base of the inner angle of the cell, orthotropous. Cap- 

 sule usually solitary, sessile or stipitate, follicular, dehiscing usually in front, 

 rarely on the back, 1- or very rarely 2-seeded. Seeds erect, with or without 

 an arillus or with the testa arilliform below the middle. Embr\-o either cx- 

 alburainous with amygdaloid cotyledons or albuminous with foliaceous coty- 

 ledons, the radicle superior or very rarely ventral. — Trees or climbing or 

 erect shrubs. Leaves persistent or deciduous, alternate, exstipulate, simple 

 or imparipinnate, with 1 or many pairs of leaflets ; leaflets sul)coriaceou8 or 

 coriaceous, always entire. Flowers small and inconspicuous, racemose or 

 paniculate. Capsule glabrous or naked internally. 



A small Order (about 140 species, fide Bentham and Hooker), universally dispersed 

 through the tropics and scarcely passing beyond them. 



Tribe 1. Connareae. — Sepals imbricated in astivation. Seed* exalbuminout. 



Calyx spreading or reflexed. 



Leaves pinnate 1. Bvrsocarpus. 



Leaves 3-foliolate 2. Agei-ea. 



Calyx clasping the fruit or its stalk. 



Capsule sessile, the fruit-calyx dilated 3. Roukea. 



Xapsule stalked, the fruit-calyx not dilated 4. Co.\.nabl'!i. 



Tribe 2. Cnestideee. — Sepals valvate in astivation. Seeds albuminous. 



Capsule stalked, glabrous within 5. Ma notes. 



Capsule sessile, hairy within C. Cnestis. 



1. BYKSOCABPUS, Schum. et Thonn. ; Beiith. et Hook. f. Gen. PI. 



i. 431. 



Calyx quinquepartite, persistent, the divisions roundish, rigid, much im- 

 bricated. Petals 5,. linear, exceeding the calyx. Stamens 10, snbequal or 

 alternately longer and shorter, the filaments subulate, dilated at the ba«e. 

 Carpels 5, hairy. Style short ; stigma terminah 2-fid. Capsule obliquely 

 oblong, coriaceous, dehiscing by the dorsal suture. Seed sessile, erect, with 

 a broad hilum, oblong, terete, the testa smooth, red, fleshy and arilliform 

 below the middle. Albumen 0. Cotyledons pitted ; plumule villose ; ra- 

 dicle very short, superior or ventral.— Shrubs with pinnate leaves. 



Confined to tropical Africa. 



