A SYNOPSIS OF THE PLANT KINGDOM 



53 



Many of the genera in cultivation in N. America arc 

 among the most important old-fashioned cultivated 

 garden plants. Among these are: Abutilon (Indian 

 Mallow, Velvet Leaf); Althaea (Marsh Mallow, Holly- 

 hock); Callirhoe (Poppy Mallow); Gossypium (Cot- 

 ton); Hibiscus (Bladder Ketmia, Roselle, Jamaica 

 Sorrel, Okra, Gumbo, Rose of Sharon, Mountain 

 Mahoe, Shoeblack Plant); Malope; Malvastrum; Pavo- 

 nia; Sida; Sphaeralcea. 



138. Bombacaceae (from the genus Bombax, from 

 the Latin meaning silk or cotton). BOMBAX FAMILY. 

 Fig. 37. Trees: leaves mostly alternate, entire or digi- 

 tate, often with slime-colls and stellate hairs: flowers 

 bisexual, regular or slightly irregular; involucre often 

 present; sepals 5, separate or connate, valvate; petals 

 5, twisted in the bud; stamens 5 to many, separate or 

 monadelphous; anther cells 1-2 or more; pollen smooth; 

 staminodia often present; ovary superior, 2-5-celled; 

 ovules 2 to many; style 1; stigmas 15: fruit dry or 

 fleshy, dehiscent or indehiscent. 



There are 20 genera and about 100 species, of tropical 

 distribution, mostly in America. The family is closely 

 related to the Malvaceae and often united with that 

 family. It is distinguished most easily by the smooth 

 pollen and the often several-celled anthers. 



Many Bombacacese are very large trees. The trunk 

 of the baobab tree, or monkey's bread tree (Adansonia 

 iJiffitata) of tropical Africa is often 100 feet in circumfer- 

 ence. The wool produced in the fruit is of little value. 

 The fruit of Durio zibethinus contains a cream-like sub- 

 stance and is eaten. The seeds of the green fruit of 

 Malisia cordata of the Andes is edible. The sour cucum- 

 ber tree or cream of tartar tree is Adansonia Gregorii. 

 The fruit contains tartaric acid. 



Five or 6 genera are in cultivation in this country in 

 the South and in greenhouses: Adansonia (Boabab 

 Tree, Monkey's Bread); Bombax (Silk Cotton Tree); 

 Chorisia (Floss-silk Tree); Eriodendron; Pachira. 



139. Sterculiaceae (from the genus Slerculia, deriva- 

 tion obscure). STERCULIA FAMILY. Fig. 37. Trees, 

 shrubs, or herbs, sometimes vines: leaves alternate, 

 simple or digitate: flowers bisexual or unisexual, usu- 

 ally regular; sepals 3-5, somewhat united, valvate; 

 petals wanting or reduced; stamens very remarkable 

 and wonderfully diverse, in 2 whorls, those opposite 

 the sepals reduced to staminodia or wanting, the 1 to 

 many others united into a tube, the anthers frequently 

 alternating with sterile teeth, or variously arranged 

 on the back of the tube; ovary superior, 4-5-celled; 

 ovules several; styles 4-5, distinct or connate: fruit 

 dry, rarely fleshy, or splitting into separate berries. 



The 48 genera and about 750 species are almost 

 entirely confined to the tropics. The family is related 

 to the Malvaceae in the monadelphous stamens, but 

 differs in the 2-celled anthers; also related to the Bom- 

 bacaceae and Tiliacese. The valvate sepals, reduced 

 petals, 4-5-celled ovary, and especially the peculiar 

 stamens, are distinctive. 



The Sterculiaceoe, like the Malvaceae contain abun- 

 dant mucilage. They also contain a bitter principle 

 which renders them emetic and stimulant. The seeds 

 of Theobroma Cacao, native of central and northern 

 South America, furnishes cocoa, chocolate, and cocoa- 

 butter. Cola acuminata of Africa furnishes the cola 

 nut, now very popular as an ingredient in a mildly 

 stimulating drink. It is said to form the main con- 

 stituent of the drink called "coco-cola." 



There are about 12 genera in cultivation in America, 

 all either in tropical agriculture or in greenhouse cul- 

 ture : Rulingia, Reevesia, and Pterospermum in south- 

 ern California; Stereulia (Japanese Varnish Tree, Chi- 

 nese Parasol Tree, Flame Tree), Fremontia and Gua- 

 zuma in the South; Theobroma and Cola in the West 

 Indies; Abroma, Dombeya, and Mahernia (Honey Bell) 

 mostly in the greenhouse. All are grown for orna- 

 mental purposes except Theobroma and Cola. 



Order 42. PARIETALES 



140. Dilleniaceae (from the genus Dillenia, in honor 

 of John James Dillenius, a professor of botany at 

 Oxford). DILLENIA FAMILY. Fig. 37. Trees or shrubs, 

 often climbing: loaves alternate, very rarely opposite: 

 flowers bisexual, regular, hypogynous; sepals 5, rarely 

 more or fewer, imbricated, persistent; petals 5 or fewer, 

 imbricated, deciduous; stamens numerous, often very 

 numerous, free or'united in groups, anthers opening by 

 slits or pores; carpels several, usually distinct, but 

 often united; ovules numerous: fruit a follicle, or a 

 berry or a capsule, or inclosed in a fleshy calyx, which 

 simulates a berry; seed albuminous, usually with 

 an aril. 



Nearly all the 11 genera and about 200 species are 

 tropical, distributed chiefly in Australia, India, and 

 tropical America, rarely in Africa. Of these Dillenia, 

 Hibbertia and Tetracera are the largest genera. The 

 family is related to the Ranunculaceae and Magnolia- 

 cese on the one hand, and to the Theaceae on the other. 

 Its closest affinity is with the latter family. The woody 

 habit, polypetalous flowers, very numerous stamens, 

 usually separate carpels, albuminous seeds with arils, 

 and straight embryo, are characteristic. 



The Dilleniaceae are astringent, for which reason some 

 are used medicinally; the fruits of some are eaten 

 because acid, others are used as tonics. Davilla of 

 Brazil has been used for wounds; Curatella for ulcers; 

 Tetracera aspera of Guiana as a sudorific and diuretic, 

 also for syphilis, intermittent fevers and scurvy. The 

 astringent bark of a species of Dillenia is said to have 

 been used in Asia for ulcerated sores. The acid and 

 inedible fruit of Dillenia speciosa serves to season 

 dishes; and a syrup of the juice of the unripe fruit 

 allays coughs, assists expectoration and is said to cure 

 angina; the bark is also used for tanning. Many species 

 of Dillenia furnish timber in the Indo region. The rough, 

 silicious leaves of many of the tribe Tetracerae, espe- 

 cially Curatella americana, have been used in Brazil 

 to polish wood in place of sandpaper. Some of the 

 climbing species furnish drinking-water by incisions in 

 the stem. 



The flowers of many species are very beautiful, but 

 few forms are in cultivation. In this country the only 

 one apparently is Dillenia indica, a large magnolia-like 

 tree with flowers 9 inches in diameter, grown in south- 

 ern California and in Florida. 



By recent authors (Gilg, in Engler and Prantl), 

 Actinidia, a genus of vines from eastern Asia, has 

 been placed in this family, although formerly included 

 in the Theaceae. A few species of Actinidia are in the 

 American trade. 



141. Ochnaceas (from the genus Ochna, which is 

 from ochne, the Greek name of a wild pear tree; the 



38. OCHNACE.E: 1. Ochna, fruit. TERNSTRCEMIACE.E: 2. Gordonia, 

 flower. 3. Thea, fioral diagram. 



resemblance is probably in the foliage). OCHNA FAMILY. 

 Fig. 38. Shrubs or trees, with alternate, simple or pin- 

 nate, coriaceous leaves: flowers bisexual, regular; sepals 

 4-5, imbricated, rarely 10; petals 5, rarely 3-4, or 10, 

 usually convolute; stamens 1-3 times the number of 

 the petals, sometimes with 1-3 series of staminodia, 

 hypogynous, separate; anthers usually opening by 

 terminal pores; an hypogynous stipe usually present 

 (gynophore); ovary 4-5-celled, often deeply lobed; 

 ovules 1 to many in each cell; style and stigmas 1-5: 



