54 



A SYNOPSIS OF THE PLANT KINGDOM 



fruit ixiriacwnis and iiuleliisivnt, or lU\sliy, or a i'ai)sulc, 

 or oonipa-;i'il of the l-soodod ilrupo-liko lobos of the 

 ovary wliioli siro whorkxl on the enlarged fieshy recep- 

 tacle (.Ochnal. 



The family has 17 genera and lOOormorespeoies, dis- 

 triliut(\l in llu' tropical regions of both heniispliercs, 

 most abundant jierhaps in Brazil, but also abundant in 

 Afriea. The family is not closely relat<'cl to any other but. 

 sccnis to stand between the Hanunenlus grou]) and the 

 Hyperieum group of fiuiiilies. The many sepals, petals 

 and stiuiiens, the gynophore, and usually the lob(ul 

 ovary, are distinctive. 



The wood of some species of Ochnacea^ has been 

 used locally for timber, and, because of the pronoimced 

 astringent properties of some species, they have been 

 used locall\' for fly-bites, ulcers, and so on. 



Ochna mulliflorn, of Upper Guiana, is cultivated in 

 America. This is grown occasionally in greenhouses 

 because of the peculiar fruit, for an account of which see 

 the article on Ochna. 



142. Temstroemiacese (or Theaceae) (from the genus 

 Tirnslraniiu, in honor of Ternstroem, a Swedish natural- 

 ist and traveler who died in 1745). Tea P^amily. Fig. 38. 

 Large or small trees, with alternate, entire, leathery 

 leaves: flowers solitary orscattered, usually bisexual, reg- 

 ular; sepals 5-7, imbricated, persistent; petals 5, rarely 4 

 or more, nearly or quite separate; stamens very many, 

 rarely 15 or fewer, usually hypogynous, separate or 

 united at the base, or in 5 fascicles, usually adnate to 

 the corolla below; ovary superior, 2-10-cellcd; ovules 1 

 to manj' in each cavity; styles as many as the cells of 



39. HrpERiCAC£.E: 1. Hypericum, speciea, a, flower; b, flower, 

 petals removed; c. fruit. 2. Xiamia, floral diaKram. Guttifer.b: 



3. Garcioia, a, flower; fc, flower, perianth removed. TAMARlCAf:E.G: 



4, Tamariz, a, flower; b, flower, perianth removed; c, floral diagram. 



the ovary, or united into one: fruit a capsule or inde- 

 hiscent, dry or drupaceous; embryo more or less curved. 

 In thifi family are 16 genera and 174 species of tropical 

 and subtropical distribution. Stuartia reaches Vir- 

 ginia and Kentucky, and Gordonia reaches Virginia. 

 Thi.s family is related to the Hypc-ricacex and Gut- 

 tiferx, abfo to the Dilleniacea;. From it are now usually 

 excluded several genera which were formerly included. 

 Of importance to us in this connection are Actinidia 

 (transferred to the Dilleniacea;), and Stachyurus 



(I ran.sferred to the Stachyuraeea^). The very numerous 

 sl:iinens, the type of ovary and the curved embryo are 

 distinct ive. The numerous stamens have probably been 

 produced by the splitting tip of one set of 5, as in the 

 llyperic;ieea^. 



\ ;u'ious glucosides and allvaloids are found in the 

 foliage, on account of which Gordonia has been used 

 for tanning leather, .and other species have been used 

 in medicine. The most importimt species is Thea 

 cliinciisis (tea). The bitter taste of tea is largely due 

 to a glucoside, and the stimulating properties to an 

 alkaloid, theine. 



Exclusive of Actinidia and Stachyurus, S or 10 genera 

 are in cultivation in N. America. Stuartia and Gordonia 

 (Loblolly Bay) are hardy. Visnea, Ternstroemia and 

 CIcyera are grown in Florida. Eurya and Schima are 

 Camelli;i-like warmhouse shrubs. Camellia (Thea) is 

 a famous genus of old-fashioned greenhouse shrubs. 



14.3. Guttiferse (from the Latin signifying drop- 

 bearing, in allusion to the resinous exudation). Gar- 

 ciNiA Family. Fig. 39. Trees or shrubs, with opposite 

 or whorled, rarely alternate leaves: flowers regular, 

 usually some bisexual antl others unisexual on the 

 same plant, rarely all bisexual; styles usually united 

 and stigirias sometimes shield-shaped, — otherwise as in 

 the Hyiiericacea>, to which family it is closely related, 

 and with which the Guttiferiv is united by many authors. 



Thirty-five genera and about 370 species inhabit 

 the tropical regions of both, hemispheres. Clusia 

 (America), with 80 species, and Garcinia (Old World), 

 with 150 species, are the largest genera. Many species 

 are tropical trees of majestic size and handsome form, 

 useful for timber. The Clusias are mostly epiphytic 

 shrubs with aerial roots and evergreen leaves. 



The Guttifera; yield a yellow or greenish resinous 

 juice when incisions are made. Gamboge is an intensely 

 yellow resinous pigment extracted from Garcinia 

 Morclla (Ceylon). It is also a powerful purgative. 

 The blackish bitter juice of Clusia rosea (West Indies) 

 is also a purgative. The juice of species of Clusia (West 

 Indies) may be used as a varnish. The resin of C. flava 

 (hog-gum) is a wound remedy. Wounded swine smear 

 themselves with the gum by rubbing against the plant, 

 hence the name. The pulpy fruit of Garcinia Mangos- 

 tana ('Imangosteen" of the Moluccas), and Mammea 

 americana (West Indies) are delicious to many people. 



There are 3 or 4 genera in cultivation in warm Amer- 

 ica: Garcinia including the Mangosteen, cultivated in the 

 West Indies, and the Gamboge Tree cultivated in the 

 West Indies and Florida; Calophyllum, cultivated in 

 southern Florida and southern California; Mammea 

 americana (Mammee Apple or St. Domingo Apricot), 

 cultivated in southern Florida and southern California. 



144. HypericaceEB (from tlie genus Hypericum, an 

 ancient Greek name of unknown origin). St. John's- 

 WORT F^AMILY. Fig. 39. Herbaceous or woody plants: 

 leaves opposite or whorled, often pellucid punctate or 

 black-punctate: flowers bisexual, regular, cymose; sepals 

 4-5, more or less connate, the outer smaller, rarely 4, 

 with the 2 outer much larger; petals as many as the 

 sepals, sessile or clawed; claw naked or with a honey- 

 furrow or -pit ; stamens many, hypogynous, usually in 

 3-5 bimdles the members of which are often more or 

 le.ss united, rarely monadelphous; ovary superior 3-5-, 

 rarely 1-, celled; placent;c usually parietal; ovules 

 numc'rous; styles 1-5, usually 3-5: fruit a capsule, 

 rarely fleshy. 



AlJout 8 genera and 260 species are known, of which 

 200 are in the genus Hyperieum, of the tropical and 

 temperate regions throughout the world, but especially 

 abundant in the north temperate zone. The family is 

 very closely related to the Gnttifenc, with which it is 

 united by Engler and Prantl under the latter name; 

 also related to the Ternstra'miace* (Theaceae). The 

 fiiscicles of stamens probably represent individual 

 stamens, each of which has become divided into many. 



