44 



A SYNOPSIS OF THE PLANT KINGDOM 



108. Erythroxylaceae (from the genus Erythroxylon, 

 the name signifying red wood; the wood of some species 

 being red). COCA FAMILY. Fig. 30. Shrubs and small 

 trees: leaves alternate: flowers bisexual, regular, incon- 

 spicuous; sepals 5, persistent, imbricated or valvate; 

 petals 5, convolute or imbricated, with appendages on 

 the inner face, or with projecting callosities; stamens 10. 

 in 2 whorls, more or less connate into a tube, and 

 externally glandular; ovary 3-4-celled, usually but 

 1 cell developing in fruit; 1-2 ovules in each cell; styles 

 3-4: fruit drupaceous, 1-2-seeded. 



Two genera and about 90 species are known; all 

 tropical, and reaching their greatest development in 



30. ERYTHROXYLACE.E: 1. Erythroxylon, a, flower of B. 

 pulchrum;b, flower, perianth removed, of E. Coca. ZYGOPHYLLACE^E: 

 2. Zygophyllum, a, flower; b, floral diagram. RUTACE.E: 3. Huta, 

 a, flower; 6, floral diagram; c, leaf. 



tropical South America, but extending northward to 

 Mexico and southward in the Old World to Natal. 

 The family is closely related to the Linacesc with which 

 it was formerly united, but differs in the more promi- 

 nent stamen-tube, the appendages on the petals, and 

 the drupaceous non-capsular fruit. 



The only important economic plant is the coca plant 

 (Erythroxylon Coca), a shrub famous as the source of 

 cocaine. Its origin is unknown, but it was early used by 

 the Peruvians as a stimulant. Coca is now grown to 

 a limited extent in southern Florida and southern Cali- 

 fornia, as well as in most tropical countries. 



109._ J Zygaphyllacee (from the genus Zygophyllum, 

 derived from the Greek signifying a yoke and leaf; the 

 leaflets are in pairs). CALTROP FAMILY. Fig. 30. Herbs, 

 shrubs, or trees: leaves opposite, rarely alternate, mostly 

 pinnately compound: flowers bisexual, regular, rarely 

 irregular; sepals 4-5, persistent, imbricated or rarely 

 valvate; petals 4-5, rarely 0, imbricated, rarely valvate; 

 disk present, diverse, rarely wanting; stamens usually 

 8 or 10, hypogynous, the outer opposite the petals, 

 usually scales at the base of the filaments; ovary supe- 

 rior, 4-5-celled, rarely falsely many -celled; ovules 

 2 to several in each cell; style and stigma 1: fruit a 

 capsule or separating into fruitlets. 



Twenty-one genera and about 150 species occur as 

 natives of the warmer parts of the world, especially 

 the drier desert regions. They are especially abundant 

 in North Africa and the Mediterranean region. This 

 family is very closely related to the Rutaceae, from which 

 it differs in the absence of glandular dots and oil, and 

 in the presence of stipules. The fruits are usually more 

 or less lobed and sometimes winged or covered with 

 prickles. 



The hard, faintly aromatic wood (lignumvitfE) 

 of Guaiacum officinale is used for cabinet work and 

 for pulleysT J L ne wood of this plant yields a resin used 

 as a diaphoretic 'and purge. The flower-buds of one 

 species of Zygophyllum are used in place of capers. 



The Arabs use Z. simplex to remove freckles. The 

 fetid smell of this plant is so strong that even camels 

 are said to reject it. Soda is obtained from species of 

 Nitraria, which inhabit alkaline soil. 



Guaiacum officinale is sometimes grown in southern 

 Florida and southern California for ornament. Zygo- 

 phyllum may be in cultivation. 



110. Rutacese (from the genus Ruta, the ancient 

 name). RUE FAMILY. Fig. 30. Herbs, shrubs, trees: 

 leaves usually alternate, simple or variously cut or com- 

 pound, usually with pellucid dots: flowers bisexual, 

 usually regular; sepals 4-5, often coherent, imbricated; 

 petals 4-5, imbricated or valvate, usually separate; sta- 

 mens 8-10, rarely 15, inserted at the base of a thick disk, 

 usually distinct; ovary superior, 2-5-lobed, 2-5-celloi 1 ; 

 each cell 1 to many-ovuled, raised on a prolongation of 

 the receptacle, a glandular disk at its base; styles 

 usually connate: fruit a capsule opening by valves, or 

 fleshy and indehiscent, or separating into fruitlets, 

 rarely winged. 



Rutacese contains over 100 genera and about 900 

 species, mostly of tropical countries but extending into 

 temperate parts of Europe and America. Fagara, with 

 more than 130 species, is the largest genus. The Ruta- 

 ceae are related to many of the Geranium group, especi- 

 ally to Simarubaceas, Zygophyllacca:, and Meliaoesa, 

 The transparent dots in the leaves, the numerical plan, 

 and especially the lobcd ovary raised on the disk or 

 stalk, are together distinctive. The disk is often much 

 developed and very diversely constructed. The outer 

 stamens are usually opposite the petals, not alternate 

 with them as might be expected. In some cases the 

 carpels are entirely free below and united only by the 

 styles or stigmas. The seeds, except in the berry fruits, 

 are only 1 or 2. The great development of oil-glands 

 containing a fragrant oil is one of the most character- 

 istic features of the family. These glands are produced 

 on all parts of the plant, even on the floral parts and sur- 

 face of the fruits. The orange and lemon are examples 

 of Rutacese with berry fruits, and they are widely cul- 

 tivated and perplexingly variable. 



The volatile oil of the Rutaceae has been used to some 

 extent for medicine and also for perfumery. Extract 

 of rue has been used as a vermifuge. The Romans 

 used rue as a condiment. Some species of rue are so 

 pungent as to produce a poisoning of the skin similar to 

 that produced by poison ivy. The volatile oil is so 

 copious in Dictamnus as to ignite readily. Several 

 species of Barosma (buchu) are tonic and diuretic. The 

 genus Citrus is the most useful. It includes the orange, 

 the bitter orange ; the citron, the lemon, the lime, the 

 grape-fruit, the kid-glove orange or tangerine, and the 

 bergamot from the rind of which bergamot oil is manu- 

 factured, used in perfumery. The bark of the prickly 

 shrub, Zanthoxylum, is sometimes used as a tonic. 

 The seeds of some species of Zanthoxylum are used to 

 poison fish. 



In cultivation in America or worthy of trial are 20 

 to 30 genera, used mostly for ornament and fruit. 

 Among these are: Adenandra (Breath of Heaven); 

 yEgle (Bael Fruit, Bengal Quince); Atalantia; Balsam- 

 ocitrus (African Bael-Fruit); Calodendron (Cape 

 Chestnut); Casimiroa (White Sapota); Citrus (Orange, 

 Lemon); Dictamnus (Dittany, Gas Plant, Burning 

 Bush); Fagara (Prickly Ash); Ferpnia (Wood Apple); 

 Murraya (Orange Jessamine, Satinwood); Phellodon- 

 dron (Chinese Cork Tree); Poncirus (Trifoliate 

 Orange); Ptelea (Hop Tree); Ruta (Rue); Triphasia 

 (Bergamot Lime, Lime Berry); Zanthoxylum (Prickly 

 Ash, Chinese or Japanese Pepperwood, Toothache 

 Tree). 



111. Simarubaceae (from the genus Simaruba, which 

 is the Caribbean name of Sinuiruba officinalis). QUAS- 

 SIA FAMILY. Fig. 31. Shrubs or trees: leaves alternate or 

 rarely opposite, pinnate, rarely simple, dot less: flowers 

 unisexual, regular; sepals 3-5, more or less connate, 

 imbricated or valvate; petals 3-5, rarely 0, free or con- 

 nate, variously arranged in the bud; disk prominent, 

 very diverse, rarely 0; stamens usually twice the petals, 

 filaments naked or with a scale; carpels 2-5, free, or 



