ARALIACE.E. I. ADOXA. 



383 



ORDER CXXIV. ARALIA'CE^E (this order contains only 

 plants agreeing with the genus Aralia in important characters). 

 Juss. diet. 2. p. 348. D. C. prop. med. ed. 2. p. 163. D. Don, 

 prod. fl. nep. 186. D. C. prod. 4. p. 251. Araliae, Juss. gen. 

 p. 247. 



Tube of calyx adnate to the ovarium : with the limb entire 

 or toothed. Petals 5-10, alternating with the calycine teeth, 

 valvate in Aestivation, rarely wanting altogether. Stamens 

 equal in number to the petals, rarely double that number, 

 inserted beneath the margin of a large epigynous disk ; anthers 

 bilocular, peltate. Ovarium adnate to the calyx : with 2 or 

 more cells, containing each only one ovulum. Styles many, 

 simple, sometimes distinct and diverging, sometimes joined in 

 one, rarely wanting ; stigmas simple. Berry 2-15-celled, crown- 

 ed by the entire or toothed limb of the calyx ; having as many 

 1 -seeded cells as there are styles. Seeds angular, erect, with a 

 crustaceous testa, and a membranous endopleura. Embryo 

 small, inverted, surrounded by copious fleshy albumen : having a 

 superior radicle, which is twice the length of the cotyledons. 

 Trees or shrubs, rarely herbs. Stems frutescent, often scandent, 

 adhering by root-formed fibres to other substances, as in ivy. 

 Leaves alternate, exstipulate, petiolate, simple or compound. 

 Petioles long, always dilated and thickened at the base. Flowers 

 axillary or terminal, umbellate or capitate ; the umbels or heads 

 often disposed in a racemose or paniculate manner : having invo- 

 lucels usually present. 



The order Araliacece approximates Umbelliferce, but differs 

 from it in the inflorescence being often imperfectly umbellate; 

 in the styles being usually many ; in the fruit being baccate, and 

 usually plurilocular, always without vittse ; and in the parts 

 of the fruit not being separable ; in the albumen being fleshy, 

 and in the embryo being nearly the length of the albumen. It 

 also comes near AmpeUdece, but differs in the stamens in Ara- 

 liacece alternating with the petals, not as in Ampelidece oppo- 

 site them, in the leaves being exstipulate, and in the inflores- 

 cence never being opposite the leaves, as well as in the calyx 

 adhering to the ovarium, not free from it. The genus Hedera 

 has often been confused with Caprifolidcece, but agrees best 

 with the present order, in the free petals and structure of the 

 fruit. 



The flowers have no beauty, but the foliage of many is ex- 

 tremely fine. The medicinal properties are much the same as 

 those of Umbelliferce, except the fruit, which differs in virtues, as 

 it does in botanical structure. The bark of many of the species 

 exudes an aromatic gum-resin, as in Aralia umbellifera and 

 others. The roots are tonic, with, in some cases, the flavour of 

 parsnip. The famous Ginseng, which is produced by a species 

 of Panax, is reputed to have powerful tonic, restorative, and even 

 aphrodisiacal qualities ; but it is probable that these have been 

 greatly exaggerated. The plant has perhaps some really invi- 

 gorating power when fresh, which after the statements made by 

 Father Jartoux cannot reasonably be doubted. 



Synopsis of the genera. 

 1 ADOXA. Calyx 2-3-cleft. Corolla rotate, 4 (f. 66. a.) -5- 



cleft. Stamens 8-10. Styles 4-5 (f. 66. 6.). Berry 4-celled 

 4-seeded. Seed girded by a membranous border. 



2 PA'NAX. Flowers polygamous. Margin of calyx obso- 

 letely 5-toothed. Petals 5. Stamens 5. Styles 2-3, short. 

 Fruit fleshy, compressed, orbicular, or didymous, 2-celled. 



3 CUSSONIA. Margin of calyx entire, or with 5-7 acute teeth. 

 Petals 5-7. Stamens equal in number to the petals. Ovarium 

 crowned by a broad disk. Styles 2-3, short. Fruit 2-3-celled, 

 roundish, nearly dry. 



4 MARA V LIA. Margin of calyx small. Petals and stamens 5. 

 Styles 3. Berry cylindrical, 3-celled, 3-seeded. 



5 GILIBE'RTIA. Margin of calyx entire, drawn out beyond 

 the ovarium. Petals 5-10. Stamens 5-10. Ovarium 5-10- 

 celled, crowned by a broad disk. Style short, composed of 5-10 

 concrete ones, which at length diverge a little at the apex. 

 Fruit fleshy, 5-10-celled. 



6 GASTONIA. Margin of calyx entire, drawn out beyond 

 the ovarium. Petals 5-16. Stamens double the number of the 

 petals, 2 in front of each petal. Styles 8-12, short, rather con- 

 crete at the base. Fruit 8-12-celled, 8-12-ribbed, nearly dry. 



7 POLY'SCIAS. Margin of calyx short, denticulated. Petals 

 5-7, but usually 8. Stamens 5-7, but usually 8. Style none. 

 Stigmas 3-5, short, spreading. Berry globose, 4-celled, 4- 

 seeded. 



8 TORICE'LLIA. Margin of calyx acutely 5-toothed. Petals 5, 

 uncinately incurved at the apex. Stamens 5, very short. Styles 

 4, short. Berry nearly dry, 4-celled. 



9 ARA'LIA. Margin of calyx very short, entire or toothed 

 Petals 5, free at the apex. Stamens 5. Styles 5. Berry 5- 

 celled, usually torose. Seed chartaceous. 



10 SCIODAPHY'LLUM. All as in Aralia, but the petals are 

 joined together into the form of a calyptra at the apex. 



11 HE'DERA. Margin of calyx elevated or toothed. Petals 

 5-10, not cohering at the apex. Stamens 5-10. Styles 5-10, 

 conniving, or joined in one. Berry 5-10-celled. 



12 PARATRO'FIA. All as in Aralia or Hedera, but differs in 

 the stigmas being sessile, at first approximate, and immersed in 

 the epigynous disk. 



13 ARTHROPHY'LLUM. Margin of calyx short, obsoletely 

 5-toothed. Petals 5. Stamens 5. Style short, or almost want- 

 ing ; stigma obtuse. Fruit baccate, crowned, containing a one- 

 seeded nucleus. 



I. ADO'XA (from a priv. and Sofa, doxa, glory ; without any 

 appearance. This plant covers the places where it grows, but 

 the flowers are hardly to be seen, being of the same colour as 

 the leaves). Lin. gen. no. 501. Gaertn. fruct. 2. p. 141. t. 112. 

 f. 9. Lam. ill. t. 320. D. C. prod. 4. p. 251. Moschatellina, 

 Town. inst. t. 68. 



LIN. SYST. Octdndria, Tetragynia. Tube of calyx adnate 

 to the ovarium, with 2-3 deep segments. Corolla of one petal, 

 wheel-shaped, in 4-5 (f. 66. a.) deep ovate, acute, spreading seg- 

 ments, longer than the calyx. Stamens 8 or 1 ; anthers roundish. 

 Ovarium half superior. Styles 4-5 (f. 66. &.), short, united at 

 their base, which is permanent. Berry globose, its lower half 

 invested with the permanent calyx, whose segments surround the 

 middle part, of one cell, pulpy inside. Seeds 4, ranged round the 



