A SYNOPSIS OF THE PLANT KINGDOM 



45 



connate at the base or by the styles, or completely 

 united into a 2-5-celled, superior ovary; each cell 1-, 

 rarely several-, ovuled; carpels in fruit drupe-like, 

 rarely forming a berry or samaras. 



About 28 genera and 140 species are generally distrib- 

 uted in the tropics, but extend into the temperate 

 regions. The center of distribution is in tropical 

 America. Some fossil species are known. The family 

 is closely related to the Rutacea:, but differs in the 

 absence of foliage-glands and in the presence of scales 

 on the filaments. It is also closely related to the Zygo- 

 phyllaceae. 



Most of the Simarubacese contain a bitter principle, 

 also, sometimes, a resinous matter and an oil which is 

 of value as a tonic. Quassia amara of tropical America 

 furnishes the quassia wood, famous as a bitter tonic. 

 Picrnsma. excelsa, of Jamaica, also furnishes quassia 

 of equal quality. Branches of quassia and the pulver- 

 ized bitter wood of species of Simaruba are used in 

 tropical America to drive away insects. The seeds 

 of Simaruba Cedron are used for the same purpose. 

 Various species are used for snake-bites. The leaves 

 and sap of species of Picramnia furnish a beautiful 

 violet dye. 



Very few are in cultivation in America: Picrasma, a 

 semi-hardy shrub; and Ailanthus (Tree of Heaven), a 

 well-known tree. 



112. Burseraceae (from the genus Bursera, named in 

 memory of Joachim Burser, a botanist in Naples). 

 BURSERA FAMILY. Fig. 31. Trees or shrubs, often very 

 large, with usually alternate compound leaves: flowers 

 bisexual, regular, usually small and very numerous; 

 sepals 3-5, more or less connate, imbricated or often 

 valvate; petals 3-5, usually separate, imbricated or val- 



31. SIMARUBACE.E: 1. Ailanthus, a, flower, section: 6. flower, 

 looking in; c, fruit. BURSERACE*: 2. Bursera, a, flower; *, floral 

 diagram. MELIACE^E: 3. Swietenia, flower. 4. Cedrela, I'ower. 

 .'). Melia, floral diagram. MALPIGHIACE<E: 6. Camarea, Uower. 

 7. Malpighia, floral diagram. 



vate; stamens usually twice as many as the petals, hy- 

 pogynous, sometimes unequal, separate, the outer oppo- 

 site the petals; disk present, am.ular or cup-shaped, 

 rarely 0, sometimes adnate to the calyx; ovary superior, 

 2-5-celled; ovules usually 2 in ouch cell; style 1 or 0: 

 fruit drupe-like with 2-5 stones or with a bony endo- 

 carp or a capsule with the epicarp opening and expos- 

 ing the connate bony pits; seeds exatbuminous. 



The 16 genera and about 270 species are widely dis- 

 tributed in tropical regions. One species of Bursera 

 reaches Florida. The family is related to the Rutaceaj 

 and Bimarubaoee, from which it differs in the presence 

 of resin-chambers in the bark. It is also very closely 

 related to the Anacardiaceae. 



The family is very rich in resin and, therefore, is of 

 considerable economic importance. These resins are 

 frequently aromatic or fragrant ; hence many have been 

 used as incense. The resin myrrh is obtained from species 

 of Commiphora of Arabia and Africa. Mecca balsam 

 is from the same genus. Olibanum incense is derived 

 from trees of the genus Boswellia, of India. Frankin- 

 cense is either this olibanum or the resin from Bog- 

 wellia Carteri. A substitute for dammar and copal 

 has been obtained from the Burseraceae. 



Few species of the Burseraceae are in cultivation in 

 America: Bursera Simaruba, as an ornamental green- 

 house tree; and Garuga pinnata, which is grown in 

 Florida and California for the gooseberry-like fruit. 



113. Meliaceae (from the genus Melia, the Greek 

 name of the somewhat similar manna-ash). MAHOGANY 

 FAMILY. Fig. 31. Trees or shrubs: leaves usually alter- 

 nate, pinnate or rarely simple: flowers bisexual, rarely 

 unisexual, panicled; sepals 4-5, usually partly connate, 

 imbricated; petals 4-5, rarely 3-8, separate, or con- 

 nate or adnate to the stamens; stamens 8-10, rarely 

 5. or numerous, hypogynous, filaments usually connate 

 into a tube which is entire or lacerate, rarely free; disk 

 present; ovary superior, 2-5-celled, rarely 1- or many- 

 celled, each cell 2-, rarely several-, ovuled; style and 

 stigma 1 : fruit a drupe, berry, or capsule. 



There are 42 genera and about 600 species, all con- 

 fined to the tropics. They enter the United States 

 only in southern Florida. Some fossil species are 

 known. The family is related to the Rutaceae, but 

 lacks the resin and oil-glands. It is closely related to all 

 of the disk-bearing families, but is distinguished by the 

 peculiar stamen-tube with teeth and fringe. 



There is the greatest diversity in the arrangement 

 of the anthers on the staminal tube and the dentation 

 or fringing of the latter. Very commonly there are 2 

 stipule-like teeth just below the anthers. The seeds 

 are sometimes winged (in mahogany). The leaves are 

 rarely transparent-dotted (Flindersia). 



Melia Azedarach, an Asiatic tree, is bitter, and has 

 been used in medicine as a purgative and vermifuge. 

 Other species of Meliacese are purgative and emetic, or 

 are used for heartburn, and the Uke. Some have the odor 

 of garlic. The bark of the Asiatic Walsura piscidia is 

 used to stupefy fish. The pulp of the fruit of Aglaia 

 edulis is said to be delicious. The bitter bark of mahog- 

 any has been used in place of quinine. The most cele- 

 brated member of the family is Swietenia Mahogani of 

 the West Indies and Peru, which furnishes the mahog- 

 any timber of commerce. The wood of the West Indian 

 Cedrela odorata is fragrant, and is the so-called cigar- 

 box cedar, from which these boxes are made. The 

 sawdust of the South African sneezewood (Ptaeroxylon 

 obliquum) causes sneezing, hence the popular name. 



Five or more genera are in cultivation in America, all 

 confined to southern California and southern Florida, 

 except Melia, which is common throughout the southern 

 states, and Cedrela sinensis, hardy in Mass. Among 

 these are Cedrela (West Indian Cedar); Melia (Pride 

 of India, China-berry Tree, Texas Umbrella Tree); 

 Ptaeroxylon (Sneezewood); Swietenia (Mahogany). 



114. Malpighiaceae (from the genus Malpighia, in 

 honor of Marcello Malpighi, once professor of medi- 

 cine at Pisa). MALPIGHIA FAMILY. Fig. 31. Trees or 

 shrubs, most often climbing: leaves usually opposite, 

 often with petiolar glands and jointed petioles: flowers 

 commonly bisexual, usually obliquely irregular; sepals 5, 

 mostly separate, some or all with large glands; petals 

 5, fringed or toothed, slender-clawed; stamens 10, in 

 part staminodial, rarely fewer, the outer opposite the 

 petals, hypogynous or nearly so, usually connate below; 

 anthers very diverse and odd; ovary superior, 2-3- 

 celled and lobed, rarely 5-celled, the cells 1 -ovuled; 

 styles 2-3, rarely connate: fruit commonly separating 

 into 2-3 nut-like portions which are entire, or pectinately 

 winged, or naked, rarely a single nut or drupe; seeds 



