630 XLIT. RHAMNE^E. (M. A. Lawson.) 



less adherent to it, 3- rarely 2-4-celled ; style short, simple, or 2-4 cleft ; 

 ovules 1 in each cell, erect, anatropous, raphe dorsal. Fruit free or girt at 

 the base or middle by the adhering calyx-tube, 3- more rarely 1-4-celled, 

 capsular or a dry or fleshy drupe, sometimes winged. Seed with fleshy 

 albumen, rarely exalbuminous ; embryo large, erect. DISTKIB. Abundant 

 in the tropical and temperate regions of the world; genera 38, species 

 above 400. 



VITMANNIA AFRICANA, W. & A. Prodr. 166 ; W. Ic. 490, is a S. African plant, not 

 Indian. 



TRIBE I. Ventilagineee. Scandent unarmed shrubs. Leaves alternate. 

 Disk filling the calyx-tube. 0twy superior or half superior. Fruit dry, 

 1-celled, 1-seeded, girt at the base or middle by the calyx-tube. Seed 

 exalbuminous. 



Fruit indehiscent, prolonged above into a linear-oblong wing") ... 1. YKNTII.ACO. 

 Fruit a 2-valved broadly oblong capsule .......... 2. SMYTHKA. 



TBIBE II. Zizypheae. Shrubs or trees. Disk filling the calyx-tube. 

 Fruit a dry or ileshy drupe with a 1-3-celled stone. 



Leaves prominently 3-nerved ............. 3. Xi/vritrs. 



Leaves pennincrved ................ 4. l'r.i;< IU;MIA. 



TRIBE III. Rhamneae. Shrubs or trees. Disk lining or filling the 

 calyx-tube. Oixiry superior or half-superior. Fruit dry or fleshy, of 3> 

 (rarely 2 or 4) pyrenes or cocci. 



* Disk thin, luinnj (lie c< dux-tube. 



Trees or shrubs. Leaves alternate. Cymes axillary. Fruit inde- 



hiscent .................... 5. RHAMSUS. 



** Disk jUtly, filing the calyx-tube. 



Leaves alternate, unequal. Peduncles swollen, fleshy. An unarmed 



tree ..................... 6. HOVEXIA. 



Leaves opposite or subopposite. Flowers subunibellate. An unarmed 



or prickly shrub ................. 7. SCUTJA. 



Leaves opposite or subopposite. Flowers sessile in terminal panicles. 



Unarmed or spinous inruba ............. 8. SACKKKTIA. 



Leaves alternate. Peduncles slender, not fleshy. An unarmed shrub 9. COLUIMMXA. 



TRIBE IV. Gouanieae. Fruit inferior, crowned with the persistent 

 calyx. 



Fruit globose, not winged. Flowers fascicled, forming paniculate 



racemes ................... 10. APTEUON. 



Fruit 3- winged. Flowers fascicled, forming paniculate racemes . .11. GOUANIA. 

 Fruit ovate, terete. Flowers subunibellate ......... 12. HELIAUS. 



1. VENTILAGO, GaBrtn. 



Scandent shrubs. Leaves alternate, subbifarious. Flowers small, dis- 

 posed in axillary and terminal (usually leafless) panicles, rarely in the axils 

 of the leaves. Calyx 5-ficl, with spreading internally keeled lobes ; calyx- 

 tube obconical. Petals 5, obtriangular or cucullate. Stamens 5, adnate to 

 the base of the petals. Disk 5-lobed with a free margin. Ovary sunk in 

 the disk, 2-celledj style very short. Fruit sarnaroid, the nut subglobose, 



