492 LX. SAMYDACE^ (MASTERS). 



Order LX. SAMYDACEJE. (By Dr. Maxwell T. Masters.) 



Flowers regular, hermaphrodite. Flower-tube coriaceous, adnate to 

 or separate from the ovary. Sepals 3-7, persistent, imbricate or val- 

 vate. Petals equal in number to the sepals or rarely more numerous, 

 usually similar to them and springing" from the throat of the flower- 

 tube, marcescent accrescent or sometimes absent. Disk perigynous or 

 hypogynous, cup-like ; annular or glandulose. Stamens definite or in- 

 definite in one or many rows, alternating with an equal number of 

 staminodes, or grouped in fascicles opposite to the petals ; filaments 

 thread-like distinct or connate below into a tube ; anthers didymous 

 oblong, bursting inwardly by two chinks. Ovary free or attached to 

 the base of the flower-tube, sessile, 1 -celled, surmounted either by a 

 single consolidated style, which is entire or 3-fid at the summit, or 

 more rarely by 3-5 distinct styles ; stigmas simple or capitate. Ovules 

 few or numerous attached to 3-5 parietal placentas often near the 

 upper end of the ovarian cavity only ; anatropous, pendulous or ascend- 

 ing; micropyle superior; raphe lateral or ventral. Fruit capsular 

 or indehiscent, coriaceous or fleshy, 1 -celled, 1- or many-seeded, par- 

 tially or completely 3-5-valved, valves alternating with the placentas. 

 Seeds few, oblong or angular, ascending or pendulous with a central or 

 lateral hilum ; arillus fleshy entire or torn ; testa crustaceous or cori- 

 aceous, black, striate or rugose. Albumen abundant fleshy. Embryo 

 axile, shorter than the albumen ; cotyledons oblong, orbicular or cor- 

 date, often foliaceous; radicle very short or elongate, terete. — Trees 

 or shrubs, glabrous pubescent or tomentose. Leaves stalked, simple, 

 alternate, distichous, often with pellucid circular and linear spots, entire 

 or serrate, teeth often glandular. Stipules small, often deciduous or 

 wanting, rarely leaiy. Flowers inconspicuous, racemose panicled or- 

 tufted, stalked ; pedicels jointed, bracteolate. 



An Order whose members are for the most part natives of the Tropics of both hemi- ' 

 spheres. 



Tribe 1. Caseariese. — Leaves alternate. Calyx A-b-merous. Petals none. Stamens 

 6-15, springing from the margin of the flower-tUbe in a single row. Staminodes 

 equal in number to the fertile stamens, and alternating with them. 



Stamens 6-15, combined into a tube below. Style simple, 3-lobed 



or entire at the apex. Flowers tufted 1. Casearia. 



Tribe 2. Banarese. — Leaves alternate. Calyx free, A-bmerous. Petals 4-5 or 

 more. Stamens numerqus, in many rov:s, springing from a perigynous disc. 



Calyx 3-parted, imbricate. Petals 7-10. Stamens short. Leaves 



entire. Flowers in short spikes 2. Pvramidocarfus. 



Tribe 3. Homalieae. — Leaves alternate. Flower-tube free or more or less adnate 

 to the ovary. Sepals and petals, 4-15 distinct. Stamens equal in number to the 

 petals, opposite to them, or more numerous and collected in tufts in front of them, 

 alternating with glands placed opposite to the sepals. 



* Ovary free. 

 Petals equal in number to the sepals. Stamens more numerous. 



Seeds covered with cottony hairs . » . . 3. Bivinia. 



