44 



A SYX(M^SIS OF Till': PLANT KINCDOM 



UlS. Erythroxylacese ^|■I■^lm the gciuis Kriilhruxi/hni, 

 iho name .•iisiiiifvinsi inl wooil: tlio wood of sonic spocios 

 being ixhI). Cor.\ Kamh.v. Fi^. ;>0. Shrubs and small 

 trees: loavos alli'iiiatf: tlowci-s hisoxual, regular, iiuon- 

 spicuoiis; sopals "), pfi'sislent, inibiicalcd or valvatc; 

 petals 5, coiivoluto or iinbricattHi, with appciuiafsi's on 

 the iniuT face, or with pn>jcctin}j; callosil ics; stamens It), 

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

 externally glandular; ovary 3— 1-celled, usually but 

 1 cell ileveloping in fruil ; 1-2 ovules in each cell; styles 

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



Two genera and about 90 species are known; all 

 tropical, and reaching their greatest develo[)ment in 



«*»'i',5j^ 



W" 



'('liiiti f Ji, II" 



(L 



■f .vtl '' ' f ^ 



u 



30. Erythhoxylack.k: 1. Erythroxylou, a, fiowei 

 pulrhnirn;h, flower, perianth removed, of £. Coca. Ztgophvllace.e: 

 2. ZyEophyllviin. «, fiower; 6. floral diagram. ItuTACE.E; 3. Huta, 

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



tropical South America, hut extending northward to 

 Mexico and southward in the Old World to Natal. 

 The family is clcsely related to the Linac"a» with which 

 it wa-s 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 

 (Erylhroxylon Coca), a slirub famous as the source of 

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

 the Peruvians a.s a stinnilant. Coca is now grown to 

 a liniite<i extent in southern Florida and southern Cali- 

 fornia, a.s well as in most trojncal countries. 



HX). Zygophyllaceae (from the genus Zygojihylhim, 

 derive(i from the Greek signif\ing a yoke and leaf; tlie 

 leaflets are in pairs). Cai^tkop Family. Fig. ;30. Herbs, 

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

 pinnately compound: flowers bisexual, regular, rarely 

 irregular; sepals 4-.">, persistent, imbricated or rarely 

 valvatc; petals 4-.i, 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-.>-celled, rarely falsely many-celled; ovules 

 2 to several in each cc'll; style and stigma 1: fruit a 

 capsule or s<5paratiiig into fruit lets. 



Twenty-one genera and about 1.50 species occur as 

 natives of the w-armer i)arts of the world, especially 

 the drier draert regions. They are especially abun<laiit 

 in North Africa and the .Mediterranean region. 'I'his 

 family is very closely ri-Ialcii to the Kutacea', from which 

 it differs in the ab.sence of glandular dots and (jil, anil 

 in the presence of stipules. 'Ihe fruits are usually mon^ 

 or k;Rs lobefl and sometimes winged or covered with 

 prickles. 



The hard, faintly aromatic wood (lignumvita') 

 of Cwii/icum officirude is used for cabinet work and 

 for pulleys. The woofl of tliis plant yii4ds a resin used 

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

 6p<!cies of Zygophyllum are used in place of capers. 



The Arabs u.se Z. vimplex to remov(; freckles. The 

 fetid smell of this plant is so strong that even camels 

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

 Nitraria, which inhabit alkaline soil. 



(iiiiiiiiciiiii ojlicindlc is sometimes grown in southern 

 Florida and southern California for ornament. Zygo- 

 I)hyllum may be in cultivation. 



11(1. Rutaceas Ui'i>m the genus liulii, the ancient 

 n:uni-). HiK Family. l''ig. 'M. Herbs, rarely shrubby: 

 leaves usually alternate, simple or variously cut or com- 

 pound, usually with pellucid dots: flowers bisexual, 

 usually reguhu'; sepals 4-5, often (coherent, imbricated; 

 ])et;ils 1-."), imbricated or valvate, usually separate; sta- 

 mens .S-10, rarely 1."), inserted a( the ba.se of a thick disk, 

 usually di.stinct; ovary superior, 2-.")-lobcd, 2-5-celIed; 

 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. 



Rutacea; contains over 100 genera and about 900 

 species, mostly of tropical countries but extending into 

 temperate parts of Europe and .\merica. Fagara, with 

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

 cejE arc related to many of the (ieranium group, especi- 

 ally to Simarubacea;, Zygoph.yllace;E, aiifl Meliaceifi. 

 The transparent dots in the lea\-es, the numerical plan, 

 and especially the lobed 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 arc 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 Rutacea; with berry fruits, and they are widely cul- 

 tivated and perplexingly variable. 



The volatile oil of the Rutaceie 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); 

 ^gle (Bael Fruit, Bengal Quince); Atalantia; Balsam- 

 ocitrus (African Bael-Fruit); Calodendron (Cape 

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

 Lemon); IDictamnus (Dittany, Gas Plant, Burning 

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

 Murraya (Orange Jessamine, Satin wood); Phelloden- 

 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 (frf)m the genus Simnruha, which 

 is the Caribbean name of iShnnniha ojliciiiiilis). Qt'AS- 

 siA Family, Fig. :51. Shrubs or trees: leaves alternate or 

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

 uiiLsexual, regular; sep.als li-fi, more or less connate, 

 imbricated or valvatc; petals 3 .">, 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 



