AURANTIACE;E. 173 



round a common axis, more or less connate or distinct. 

 Fruit capsular or baccate, each carpel one or more 

 seeded, the carpels sometimes united into one. Seeds 

 sometimes hairy, almost or quite destitute of albumen ; 

 the embryo curved to the hilum, and the cotyledons 

 plaited and foliaceous. 



Herbs, shrubs, or trees, with more or less divided, 

 stipulate, alternate leaves. Hairs stellate, peduncles 

 mostly axillary. 



Geographical Relations. Most abundant in the torrid 

 zone, and diminishing quickly towards the poles, though 

 found as far as Moscow. In the tropics forming -^ of 

 the vegetation, and in Sweden -a-^r- 



Properties. Innocuous, abounding in mucilaginous 

 juices. 



Officinal Plants. 



Malva sylvestris. 

 Althaea ofncinalis. 



8. AURANTIACEJS. 



Calyx urceolate or campanulate, 3-4-5-toothed, ad- 

 hering to the disk, marescent. Petals 3 to 5, broadest 

 at their base, distinct or subconnate, exserted from the 

 torus. Stamens equal in number to the petals or some 

 multiple of their number, inserted on the disk ; filaments 

 flattened at their base, sometimes connate in one or 

 more fasciculi ; anthers terminal and innate ; ovarium 

 superior, many- celled, the style taper, stigma thick 

 and slightly lobed. Fruit indehiscent, dry or juicy, 

 with a leathery rind beset with receptacles of volatile 

 oil, the cells sometimes filled with pulpy matter. Seeds 

 numerous or solitary, attached to the axis, pendulous, 

 often enclosing a plurality of embryos, chalaza evident ; 



Q3 



