DIV. n 



ANOIOSPERMAE 



639 



dioecious, evergreen tree of the Mediterranean region, which was well known iu 

 the early period of the Grecian civilisation ; it is frequently grown in cool green- 

 houses (Figs. 649, 650). Large plantations are grown at the Lake of Garda, where 

 the oil is extracted, and here the trees ripen their oval, blackish-blue drupes in 

 October. The genus Cinnamomum includes a number of economically important 

 trees such as the Camphor tree from Japan and China and the Cinnamon tree from 

 China and Ceylon. The latter is a stately evergreen with smooth, leathery leaves 

 and inconspicuous, greenish flowers in axillary inflorescences. Persea gratissima 

 (Fig. 648) is a native of tropical Mexico, and is frequently cultivated as a fruit 

 tree in the tropics. Its fruit is known as the Avocado Pear. Species of Cassytha, 



FIG. 646. Podophyllum peltatum ( nat. size). OFFICIAL. (From Nat. Pflanzenfamilien.) 



the only genus of the family including herbaceous species, occur throughout the 

 tropics as parasites resembling Cuscuta. 



OFFICIAL. CAMPHORA, Camphor, is obtained from Cinnamomum Camphora. 

 GINNAMOMI CORTEX and OLEUM ciNNAMOMi from Cinnamomum zeylanicum. 

 Cinnamomum Oliver i. 



Family 10. Aristolochiaceae. The zygomorphic flowers (Fig. 534) have a 

 simple coherent perianth and the androecium and gynaeceum united to form a 

 gynostemium. OFFICIAL. Aristolochia serpentaria, A. reticulata. 



The parasitic Rafflesiaceae and the insectivorous families of the Cephalotaceae, 

 Sarraceniaceae, Nepenthaceae and Droseraceae may best be placed with the 

 Polycarpicae. 



Order 12. Rhoeadinae 



Herbs, or more rarely shrubs, with alternate, exstipulate leaves. 

 Flowers hermaphrodite, cyclic ; whorls usually bimerous. Ovary 



