056 



COMBRETACE^: I. BUCIDA. 



4-5 (f. 89. &.), inserted near the top of the tube of the calyx, and 

 alternating with its lobes (f. 89. &.) Stamens inserted in the 

 tube of the calyx (f. 88. c. f. 89. a.), usually double the number 

 of the lobes of the calyx (f. 89. c.), rarely equal or triple that 

 number ; filaments exserted, free, filiform or subulate ; anthers 

 2-celled, bursting lengthwise. Ovary 1-celled, 2 (f. 88. a.) -5 

 (f. 89. e.) -ovulate ; ovula pendulous from the apex of the ova- 

 rium. Style 1, slender (f. 88. d. f. 89. d.). Stigma simple. 

 Fruit drupaceous, baccate or nucamentaceous, 1-celled, inde- 

 hiscent, 1 -seeded from abortion, and usually furnished with lon- 

 gitudinal wings. Seed pendulous, filling the cavity of the peri- 

 carp, exalbuminous. Embryo straight, having the radicle directed 

 to the hylum, with an inconspicuous plumule, and foliaceous 

 cotyledons, which are sometimes flattish and reflexed by a middle 

 plait, but usually convolute, that is, spirally folded round the axis, 

 continuous with the radicle. Trees or shrubs, for the most part 

 natives within the tropics, with alternate or opposite, exstipulate, 

 feather-nerved, entire leaves, and axillary or terminal spikes or 

 racemes of flowers. 



Combretaccce agrees with Myrtacece, in the structure of the 

 embryo ; in this respect it also accords with Rhizophoreoe ; 

 and with Alangiece, and Onagrariece, in the general structure of 

 the flower. With Eleagnece and Santalacece, the apetalous 

 genera agree in many important particulars. The properties 

 are mostly astringent. 



Combretum and Quisqttalis are among the most splendid of 

 the climbing plants of the tropics, adorning the trees from which 

 they hang with garlands of white, crimson, and yellow flowers. 

 The bark of Buclda Buceras is used with success in Guiana for 

 tanning leather. The juice of Terminalia vernix is employed 

 by the Chinese as a varnish ; it is, however, caustic, and its ex- 

 halation dangerous ; benzoin is the produce of Terminalia Ben- 

 zoin. The kernel of several species is eaten as a nut, and the 

 expressed oil has the remarkable quality of not becoming rancid. 



Synopsis of the genera. 



TRIBE I. 

 TERMINALIE'/E. Flowers apetalous. 



1 BUCI'DA. Flowers hermaphrodite, apetalous. Calyx with 

 an urceolate 5-toothed limb. Stamens 10. Drupe baccate, con- 

 taining an angular putamen. 



2 AGATHISA'NTHES. Flowers dioecious, apetalous. Calyx 

 S-parted. Stamens 10. Drupe baccate, umbilicate, containing 

 a compressed 1 -seeded nut. 



3 TERMINA'LIA. Flowers usually polygamous from abortion, 

 apetalous. Calyx campanulate, 5-cleft (f. 88. a.) Stamens 10 

 (f. 88. c.). Drupe crowned by the calyx, usually dry and 1- 

 seeded (f. 87. a. 6.). 



4 PENTA'P^ERA. All as in Terminalia, but differs in the fruit 

 being furnished with 5-7 vertical exserted wings. 



5 GETONIA. Flowers hermaphrodite, apetalous. Calyx cam- 

 panulate, 5 -parted. Stamens 10. Fruit ovate, oblong, crowned 

 by the calyx, pentagonal. 



6 CHUNCOA. Flowers apetalous, some hermaphrodite, and 

 some male. Calyx 5-cleft. Stamens 10. Fruit drupaceous, 



5-angled; angles winged, two of the wings larger than the 

 rest. 



7 RAMATUE'ILA. Flowers unknown. Fruit 5-angled ; angles 

 winged at the apex. 



8 CONOCA'RPUS. Flowers hermaphrodite, apetalous. Calyx 

 5-cleft. Stamens 5-10. Fruit corky, scale-formed, closely im- 

 bricated into a head resembling a cone. 



TRIBE II. 



COMBRE'TE/E. Flowers with 4 to 5 petals. 



9 LAGUNCULA^RIA. Flowers hermaphrodite. Calyx 5-cleft, 

 permanent. Petals 5, minute. Stamens 10, inclosed. Fruit 

 marginate, coriaceous, crowned by the calyx. 



10 GUIE'RA. Flowers hermaphrodite. Calyx tubular, 5- 

 toothed. Petals 5, small. Stamens 10. Capsule narrow, 

 pentagonal. 



1 1 COMBRE'TCM. Flowers hermaphrodite. Calyx cylindrical 

 (f. 89. a.) or campanulate, 4-5-toothed. Petals 4-5 (f. 89. &.). 

 Stamens 8-10. Fruit narrow, oval, furnished with 4-5 vertical 

 wings (f. 89. e.). 



12 CACOUCIA. Flowers hermaphrodite. Calyx campanu- 

 late, 5-toothed. Petals 5. Stamens 10-14. Fruit ovate, 5- 

 angled, pulpy inside. 



13 LUMNI'TZERA. Flowers hermaphrodite, with 2 bracteas 

 under each. Calyx tubular, 5-toothed. Petals 5. Stamens 10. 

 Fruit dry. 



14 QuisaA v Lis. Flowers hermaphrodite. Calyx tubular, 

 5-cleft. Petals 5. Stamens 10. Fruit dry, 5-angled. 



j- Genera not sufficiently known. 



15 CERATO'STACHYS. Flowers hermaphrodite. Calyx with 

 an entire limb. Petals 8, small. Stamens 8-16, unequal. 

 Drupe baccate, crowned by the limb of the calyx. 



16 BRUGUIE'RA. Flowers hermaphrodite. Tube of calyx 

 furnished with 2 scales in the middle. Petals 5. Stamens 10. 

 Ovarium adnate to the calyx, containing 4 pendulous ovula. 

 Fruit unknown. 



1 7 BOBU\A. Flowers hermaphrodite. Calyx 5-cleft. Petals 

 5. Stamens 20-30. Fruit ovate, few-seeded. 



Tribe I. 



TERM1N ALIE' IE (plants agreeing with Terminalia in having 

 apetalous flowers). D. C. prod. 3. p. 9 Myrobalaneae, Juss. 

 in ann. mus. 5. p. 222. Terminaliaceae, Jaum. exp. fam. 1. p. 

 178. t. 29. Eleagnbrum, gen. Juss. gen. p. 75. Flowers ape- 

 talous, visually dioecious or polygamous. 



I. BUCrDA (from /3ove, bous, an ox ; Dr. Browne had named 

 this tree buceras, from /3oi/c and icepae, from the shape of the 

 process terminating the spike of flowers resembling a bull's 

 horn). Lin. gen. 541. Lam. ill. t. 356. Gasrtn. fruct. 3. p. 

 208. t. 217. Buceras, P. Browne, jam. t. 23. f. 1. Hudsonia, 

 Robins, in Lun. hort. jam. 2. p. 310. but not of Lin. 



LIN. SYST. Decdndria, Monogynia. Flowers hermaphrodite. 

 Limb of calyx urceolately-campanulate, 5-toothed, deciduous. Pe- 

 tals wanting. Stamens 10, inserted by 2 series, 5 at the base of 

 the limb, and the 5 longest inserted between the incisures of the 

 calyx. Anthers didymous. Style subulate, acute. Drupe 

 baccate, containing an angular putamen. Ovula 3. Seed 1, 



