392 OCHXACEJ2 COKIARIACEjE. 



was at one time erroneously supposed to furnish false Angustura bark. 

 It has properties similar to those of Quassia. Malombo bark is pro- 

 bably yielded by a species of Quassia. 



833. Order 59. Ochnacese, the Ochna Family. (Pofypet. Hypoy.) 

 Sepals 5, persistent, imbricated in aestivation. Petals equal to, or 

 twice as many as the sepals, deciduous, spreading, imbricated in aesti- 

 vation. Stamens 5, opposite the sepals, or 10, or indefinite; filaments 

 persistent, attached to a hypogynous disk; anthers bilocular, innate, 

 opening by pores, or longitudinally. Carpels as many as the petals, 

 seated on an enlarged gynobase (thecaphore); ovule erect or pendu- 

 lous, styles united into one. Fruit gynobasic, consisting of several 

 succulent indehiscent, monospermous carpels. Seeds anatropal, usually 

 exalbuminous ; embryo straight; radicle short; cotyledons thick. 

 Undershrubs or trees, with alternate, simple, stipulate leaves, and 

 pedicels articulated in the middle. They grow in tropical countries, 

 and are remarkable for the large succulent prolongation of the recep- 

 tacle to which the carpels are attached. They are generally bitter, 

 and some of them are used as tonics. Lindley enumerates 6 genera, 

 comprehending 82 species. Examples Ochna, Gomphia, Castela. 



834. Order 60. Coriariaceie, the Coriaria Family. (Polypet. 

 Hypog.) Flowers unisexual. Calyx campanulate, 5-parted; aestiva- 

 tion imbricate. Petals alternate with the calycme segments, very 

 small, fleshy, with a keel on the internal surface. Stamens 10 (fig. 

 537) ; filaments filiform, distinct ; anthers dithecal, oblong. Ovary 

 composed usually of 5 carpels, attached to a thickened receptacle or 

 gynobase, 5-celled ; ovules solitary, pendulous ; style ; stigmas 5, 

 long and glandular. Fruit, consisting of five, monospermous, inde- 

 hiscent, crustaceous carpels, enclosed by the enlarged petals. Seeds 

 pendulous, anatropal, exalbuminous; embryo nearly straight; cotyle- 

 dons fleshy; radicle short and blunt. Shrubs with opposite square 

 branches, opposite, simple, ribbed leaves, and scaly buds. They are 

 found in small numbers in the south of Europe, South America, India, 

 and New Zealand. Some of them are poisonous. The leaves of 

 Coriaria myrtifolia have been employed to adulterate Alexandrian 

 Senna on the continent. The leaves are known from those of true 

 Senna by being 3-ribbed. The leaves are used for dyeing black, and 

 an infusion of them gives a dark-blue with sulphate of iron. Lindley 

 mentions the genus Coriaria only as belonging to this Family, the 

 position of which he considers as doubtful. There are 8 species of the 

 genus. Example Coriaria. 



Subclass II. CALYCIFLOK^E. 



835. In this division are included the Polypetalous orders of Jussieu, 

 in which the stamens are not hypogynous, as well as some diclinous 



