GROUP V. ANGIOSPERJOE ; DICOTYLEDONES. 545 



two or three of the antisepalous stamens are usually suppressed, so 

 that the number is eight or seven ; they are inserted within the 

 disc : the ovary is trilocular ; ovules two "in each loculus : seed 

 without endosperm. 



jEsculus has opposite, palmately compound, exstipulate leaves ; the 

 flowers are in terminal scorpioid racemes ; the fruit has a loculicidal de- 

 hiscence : ;E. Hippocastanum is the Horse-Chestnut, derived from Asia ; X. 

 carnea, JE. Pavia, and other species are frequently cultivated. A great 

 number of genera and species grow in warm climates; they have generally 

 scattered pinnate leaves : often climbers with branch-tendrils. The fleshy 

 fruit of Sapindus Saponaria makes a lather with water like soap. 



Order 2. ACERACE^E. Flowers regular: stamens commonly 

 eight, in consequence of the suppression of the two median ones, 

 variously inserted : disc annular, rarely absent, extrastaminal or 

 intrastaminal : ovary bilocular ; ovules two in each loculus ; when 

 ripe the fruit splits into two one-seeded winged mericarps (samaras, 

 p. 473, Fig. 357) : leaves opposite, palmately lobed, sometimes com- 

 pound, exstipulate : flowers in terminal racemes, sometimes in 

 corymbs with an apical flower : seed without endosperm. 



The principal species of Acer, the Maple, are A. Paeudoplatanus, the 

 Sycamore, having leaves with crenate margins, flowers in elongated pen- 

 dulous racemes, blooming after the unfolding of the leaves, and parallel- 

 winged fruits ; A. platanoides, having leaves with serrate margins, flowers 

 in short erect racemes blooming before the unfolding of the leaves, and 

 fruits with widely diverging wings (even more than in Fig. 357) ; A. cam- 

 pest re, the common Maple, which is sometimes shrubby, with a trilobate 

 leaf, short erect racemes of flowers which bloom after the unfolding of the 

 leaves, and fruits with wings which are diametrically opposite. Some 

 North American species are often cultivated, such as A. rubrum, with five 

 stamens opposite to the sepals, and a rudimentary disc; A. dasycarpum, 

 with the same number and position of the stamens, without any corolla, 

 and having dioecious flowers; A. Negundo, with compound 3-5 foliolate 

 leaves, and dioecious flowers like those of the preceding species. Sugar is 

 prepared from the sap of A. saccharinum and dasycarpum especially. 



Order 3. POLYGALACE^E. Flowers irregular, dorsiventral ; the 

 two lateral sepals conspicuously large and known as " wings " (Fig. 

 358 A k') : petals three, the two lateral being absent ; the anterior 

 petal is very large and carinate : stamens usually eight, forming a 

 tube open posteriorly, to which the corolla, or at least the anterior 

 petal, is adnate (Fig. 358 B} : disc rudimentary : carpels two, 

 median, forming a bilocular ovary, each loculus containing a single 

 suspended ovule : fruit usually a capsule. The flower somewhat 



