BEI.VISIACE.E PAS3IFLOKACEJE. 417 



10, inserted into the throat of the corolla; anthers bilocular, introrse, 

 innate, dehiscing longitudinally. Ovary free, 1-celled; ovules inde- 

 finite, attached to 5 parietal placentas; stigma 5-lobed, lacerated. 

 Fruit usually succulent and indehiscent, sometimes capsular and dehis- 

 cent, 1 -celled. Seeds co , enveloped in a loose mucous coat, parietal ; 

 spermoderm brittle, pitted; embryo hi the axis of fleshy albumen; 

 cotyledons flat ; radicle slender, turned towards the hilum. Trees or 

 shrubs, not branching, with alternate lobed leaves, supported on long 

 slender petioles, and with unisexual flowers. They are found in South 

 America, and in other warm countries. One of the most important 

 plants of the order is Carica Papaya, the Papaw-tree, which yields an 

 acrid milky juice, and an edible fruit. The tree is said to have the 

 property of rendering meat tender. The juice of the unripe fruit and 

 the seeds are said to act as anthelmintics. The order has been divided 

 into three sections: 1. Caricea?, corolla monopetalous, fruit succulent 

 and indehiscent. 2. Modeccese, corolla monopetalous, fruit capsular 

 and dehiscent. 3. Pangieaa, corolla polypetalous. There are 1 1 known 

 genera, including 29 species. Examples Carica, Modecca, Pangium. 



874. Order 85. Belvislaceie, the Belvisia Family. (Monopet. 

 Epigyn.} Calyx gamosepalous, persistent, limb divided into 5 thick 

 ovate segments ; aestivation valvate. Petals inserted in the tube of the 

 calyx, united more or less, and forming 3 verticils, the innermost of 

 which may be considered as an altered staminal row ; the outer petal- 

 ine verticil consists of 5 plaited lobes, each of which are 7 -toothed, 

 and have 7 feathered ribs ; the second petaline verticil is cut into a 

 number of narrow segments ; while the third is an inconspicuous cup- 

 like ring, with its edge minutely divided. Stamens cc , united at their 

 base so as to be inonadelphous, or unequally polyadelphous; filaments 

 curved inwards ; anthers dithecal, oblong. Ovary surrounded by a 

 fleshy disk, and adherent to the tube of the calyx, 5 -celled ; ovules 2 

 in each cell, attached to a- central placenta, nucleus curved ; style 5- 

 angled ; stigma broad, flat, pentagonal. Fruit a large fleshy rounded 

 berry, crowned by the lobes of the calyx. Seeds large, kidney-shaped ; 

 cotyledons plano-convex; radicle and plumule immersed in then 1 sub- 

 stance. Shrubs, with alternate, simple, coriaceous, exstipulate leaves ; 

 and axillary flowers often in sets of three. They are tropical, chiefly 

 African. Some of them are used as astringents. Their place in the 

 natural system is not well determined ; some placing the order next 

 Passifloracea?, others near Symplocacese, and Lindley recognizing its 

 affinity to Rhizophoracea?. There are 2 genera and 4 species. Exam- 

 ples Belvisia (Napoleona), Asteranthos. 



875. Order 86. Passifloraceie, the Passion-flower Family. (Poly- 

 pet. Perigyn.) Sepals 5, combined below into a more or less elongated 

 tube. Petals 5, perigynous, often with filamentous or annular pro- 

 cesses on their inside, which appear to be an altered whorl or whorls 



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