MARCGRAAVIACEJE. 379 



or circumscissile dehiscence. Thalamus forming a fleshy, sometimes 

 5-lobed disk. Ovary solitary, 1 or many-celled ; ovules either solitary 

 and erect or ascending, or numerous and attached to central placentas; 

 style or very short ; stigmas peltate or radiate. Fruit dry or fleshy, 

 1 or many-celled, 1 or many-seeded, either with septicidal dehiscence 

 or indehiscent. Seeds definite, anatropal, or orthotropal, in a pulp, 

 apterous and often arillate, with a thin and membranous spermoderm; 

 albumen ; embryo straight ; cotyledons usually cohering. Trees or 

 shrubs, sometimes parasitical, with exstipulate, opposite, coriaceous, 

 entire leaves, having a strong midrib, and lateral veins running directly 

 to the margin. Flowers articulated with the peduncle, often unisexual 

 by abortion. They are natives of tropical regions, more especially of 

 South America. Lindley enumerates 30 genera, including 150 species. 

 Examples Clusia, Garcinia, Cambogia, and Calophyllum. 



799. The plants of this order yield a resinous juice, which is acrid, 

 purgative, and has a yellow colour. Gamboge is one of the most 

 important products. There are two kinds of gamboge, one called 

 Siam, and the other Ceylon Gamboge. The latter is the product of 

 Camboyia gutta or Hebradendron gambogioides, and it is probable that 

 the other, which is the only sort in commerce, and which is known by the 

 names of Pipe, Lump, and Coarse Gamboge, is derived from the same 

 source. Another kind of gamboge, called Coorg or Wynaad Gam- 

 boge, has been recently described by Christison. Gamboge is a power- 

 ful irritant, and in large doses acts as a poison, causing inflammation 

 of the mucous membrane. It is employed medicinally, as a drastic 

 and hydragogue cathartic. It is an excellent pigment. The resin of 

 Tacamahaca is yielded by Calophyllum Calaba. An oil is obtained from 

 the seeds of Calophyllum inophyllum. Pentadesma butyracea is the 

 Butter and Tallow-tree of Sierra Leone, so called on account of the 

 solid oil which is furnished by the fruit. While an acrid resin is the 

 product of most of the plants of the order, there are some parts in 

 which the resin is either absent or elaborated in small quantity. Thus 

 some of them produce fruits which are used as articles of diet. Gar- 

 cinia Mangostana supplies the East Indian Mangosteen, which is said 

 to be one of the finest known fruits, being filled with a sweet and 

 highly-flavoured pulp. Mammea amencana gives a drupaceous fruit, 

 called Mammee Apple, or Wild Apricot of South America. Mesua 

 ferrea yields a hard and durable timber. The Clusias are handsome 



trees, remarkable for the mode in which they send out adventitious 

 roots. The fruit of Clusia flava, sometimes called Wild Mango, or 

 Balsam-tree, yields a yellow juice like gamboge. 



800. Order 38. Marcgraaviaceae, the Marcgraavia Family. (Polypet. 

 Hypog.) Sepals 2-7, usually coriaceous and persistent; aestivation 

 imbricated. Corolla hypogynous, of 5 petals, or gamopetalous, calyp- 

 triform, entire or torn at the point. Stamens usually 00, very rarely 



