OLACINE^E. II. SPERMAXYRUM. III. FISSILIA. IV. HEISTERIA. V. XIMENIA. 



581 



FIG. 100. 



1 S. PHYLLA'NTHI (Lab. nov. 

 holl. 2. t. 233.) leaves oval, retuse. 

 Tj . G. Native of New Holland 

 in Van Lewin's Land. Olax phyl- 

 lanthi, R. Br. prod. 1. p. 358. 

 Flowers white ? 



Phyllanthus-like Spermaxyrum. 

 Shrub 6 feet. 



2 S. STRI'CTUM (D. C. prod. 1. 

 p. 532.) leaves oblong-linear, mu- 

 cronate. Fj . G. Native of New 

 Holland about Port Jackson. Olax 

 stricta, R. Brown, prod. 1. p. 358. 



Straight Spermaxyrum. Clt. 

 1820. Shrub 6 feet. 



2. Osyroideee {Osyris and idea, like ; plants with the habit 

 of Osyris). D. C. prod. 1. p. 532. Leaves like scales, almost 

 none ; flowers almost sessile in the axils of the scales, and appear 

 as if constituting a terminal spike. 



3 S. APHY'LLUM (D. C. prod. 1. p. 532.) leaves almost want- 

 ing ; flowers sessile, somewhat spiked, fj . S. Native of New 

 Holland between the tropics. Olax aphylla, R. Br. prod. 1. 

 p. 358. Flowers whitish. 



Leafless Spermaxyrum. Sh. 6 feet. 



Cult. These shrubs will thrive well in a mixture of loam 

 and peat ; and cuttings will root in sand under a hand-glass. 



III. FISSFLIA (from fissus, cloven; four of the petals 

 being joined at the base, appear as if they were cloven at the 

 apex). Comm. in Juss. gen. 260. D. C. prod. 1. p. 532. 



LIN. SYST. Tridndria, Monogynia. Calyx entire, en- 

 larging after flowering. Petals 5, 4 of which are connected 

 together by pairs to the middle, and are therefore semibifid, the 

 fifth one free. Appendages or nectaries filiform, simple. Sta- 

 mens 3, 2 of which are adnate to the connected petals and ad- 

 hering a considerable way, the third one free ; filaments flat ; 

 anthers elliptical, oscillatory. Ovary 3-celled, 3-seeded. Drupe 

 dry, 1 -seeded, girded by the cup-like calyx. 



1 F. PSITACCO'RUM (Lam. diet, and illus. t. 28.). P? . S. Na- 

 tive of Mauritius. O'lax psitaccorum, Vahl. enum. 2. p. 33. 

 Branches stiff". Leaves ovate-oblong or lanceolate, nerveless. 

 Racemes axillary, few-flowered. Flowers small, white. Parrots 

 are very fond of the fruit of this tree, whence the specific name. 



Parrot Fissilia. Tree 20 feet. 



Cult. This tree will thrive in a mixture of loam and peat ; 

 and cuttings will root in sand under a hand-glass, in heat. 



2. Stamens double the number of the petals. 



IV. HEISTE'RIA (in honour of Laurence Heister, a cele- 

 brated physician and anatomist, once Professor of Botany at 

 Helmstadt ; died in 1758). Lin. gen. no. 535. but not of Berg. 

 D. C. prod. 1. p. 532. 



LIN. SYST. Decandria, Monogynia. Calyx small, 5-cleft, 

 becoming very much enlarged after flowering, and cup-shaped, 

 with a spreading border. Petals 5, distinct. Stamens 10 ; 

 with flat filaments and roundish anthers. Style short. Stigma 

 trifid. Ovary 3-celled, each containing 1 ovula. Drupe 1- 

 celled, 1-seeded from abortion, the form of an olive, half hid 

 by the permanent calyx ; seed pendulous. Integument thin. 

 Albumen very fleshy. Embryo small, situated near }he hilum 



at the top of the seeds, with the radicle pointing towards the 

 hilum. Unarmed trees, with alternate, entire, exstipulate, co- 

 riaceous leaves, with the petioles jointed at the base. Flowers 

 small, axillary, with the pedicels jointed at the base. 



1 H. COCCI'NEA (Jacq. amer. 126. t. 81.) leaves lanceolate, 

 rounded at the base, shining ; flowers twin or numerous, axil- 

 lary ; calyx when in fruit spreading, with obtuse lobes. T; S. 

 Native of Martinique in woods, where it is vulgarly called Bois 

 perdrix by the French inhabitants, because birds are very fond 

 of the fruit, and of Brazil at Rio Janeiro. Lam. ill. 354. Smith, 

 in Rees" cycl. 17. no. 1. Flowers small, white. The calyx 

 is dark-purple when the fruit is ripe. 



-Scarfei-calyxed Heisteria. Fl. Dec. Clt. Tree 15 feet. 



2 H. CAULIFLORA (Smith, in Rees' cycl. no. 2.) leaves oblong, 

 sometimes obovate, tapering to the base ; flowers rising from 

 the naked stem and branches ; calyx closed when in fruit, deeply- 

 lobed. Tj . S. Native of Dutch Guiana. Flowers small and 

 probably white. 



Stem-flowered Heisteria. Tree 60 feet ? 



3 H. PARVIJFOLIA (Smith, in Rees' cycl. no. 3.) leaves ovate, 

 acute, shining ; flowers axillary ; calyx when in fruit spreading, 

 with deep ovate lobes. ^ S. Native of Sierra Leone. Branches 

 rather flattened. Recesses of calyx reflexed. Flowers small 

 and probably white. Calyx red. 



Small-leaved Heisteria. Tree. 



Cult. These trees will thrive well in a mixture of loam, 

 sand, and peat ; and cuttings will root in sand under a hand- 

 glass, in heat. 



V. XIME'NIA (Francis Ximenes, a Spanish monk, who 

 has published four books oh the plants which are used in me- 

 dicine, and animals of New Spain). Plum. gen. 6. t. 21. D. C. 

 prod. 1. p. 533. 



LIN. SYST. Octandria, Monogynia. Calyx small, 4-cleft, 

 permanent, not enlarged when in fruit. Petals 4, hairy inside 

 and conniving at the base, revolute above, valvate in aestivation. 

 Stamens 8, with capillary filaments, 4 of which are opposite 

 the petals. Anthers fixed by the base, 2-celled, bursting length- 

 wise at the sides. Ovary4-celled,4-seeded. Stigma trifid. Drupe 

 olive-formed, 1-celled, 1-seeded from abortion. Trees or shrubs, 

 usually armed with spines, with alternate, ovate, or lanceolate 

 exstipulate leaves and male axillary flowers. 



1 X. AMERICA^NA (Lin. spec. 497.) branches spinose, pe- 

 duncles axillary, many-flowered, umbellate, the lower ones 

 usually changed into spines ; leaves oblong, entire. T? . S. 

 Native of South America. Flowers small, greenish-yellow inside, 

 sweet-scented. The fruit is yellow, about the size of a pigeon's 

 egg, of a somewhat acid sweet taste, and is eaten by the natives. 



Var. a, ovata (D. C.prod. 1. p. 533.) leaves ovate. T? . S. 

 Native of the West Indies and Brazil. X. multiflora, Jacq. 

 amer. 106. t. 277. f. 31. Lam. ill. t. 297. f. 1. Fruit yellow, 

 drupaceous. Petals greenish. 



Far. /3, oblonga (D. C. prod. 1. p. 533.) leaves oblong. 

 Tj . S. Native of Guiana. Heymassoli spinosa, Aubl. guian. 1. 

 p. 324. t. 125. Lam. ill. t. 297. f. 2. 



American Ximenia. Fl. June, Sept. Clt. 1759. Sh. 15 ft. 



2 X. ELLI'PTICA (Forst. prod. no. 162.) branches unarmed; 

 peduncles many-flowered ; leaves elliptical-lanceolate, fj . S. 

 Native of New Caledonia. Flowers small, yellowish ? 



Elliptical-leaved Ximenia. Tree 15 feet. 



3 X. INE'RMIS (Lin. spec. 497.) unarmed ; pedicels 1-flowered; 

 leaves ovate. Tj . S. Native of Jamaica. Liman. hort. jam. 

 2. p. 156. Flowers small, greenish-yellow. 



Unarmed Ximenia. Clt. 1818. Tree 15 feet. 



4 X.? FEROX (Poir. diet, suppl.no. 3.) peduncles somewhat 



