200 THALAMIFLORA:. 



ORDER LIII. OCHNACE^E. 



Calycine sepals 5, persistent, imbricated during 

 aestivation. Petals hypogynous, in number 5, alter- 

 nating with the sepals, or 10, caducous, patulous, 

 imbricated during aestivation. Stamens 5, alternating 

 with the petals, or 10, or indefinite, inserted on a 

 hypogynous disk : filaments generally persistent : an- 

 thers 2-celled, innate, opening by pores. Carpels 

 equal in number to the petals, placed on an enlarged 

 tumid fleshy disk (called the gynobase) : styles com- 

 bined in one : ovules erect. Fruit of as many pieces 

 as there were carpels, indehiscent, somewhat drupa- 

 ceous, 1 -seeded, articulated on the gynobase, which 

 grows with their growth. Seeds exalbuminous : em- 

 bryo straight : radicle short : cotyledons thick. 



Tropical trees or shrubs, having a watery juice ; leaves alter- 

 nate, simple, with two stipules at the base ; flowers usually in 

 racemes, with the pedicels articulated at the middle or below it. 

 They are possessed of no known remarkable properties. 



I. GOMPHIA. 



Petals 5. Stamens 10 ; anthers subsessile, long, 

 pyramidal, erect, dehiscent at the apex by means of a 

 double pore. Locules of the pericarp 5. 



Racemes from the ends of the branchlets bearing the leaves. 

 Name, from yoptpios molar tooth, from yo/Apog a nail, because the 

 molar teeth are inserted into their sockets like nails, and the 

 drupes in the present genus are placed on the gynobase in a 

 similar manner. 



I. Gomphia laurifolia. Laurel-leaved Gomphia. 

 Leaves oblong acuminate at both ends with the 

 apex obtuse very entire shining obscurely nerved. 



Swartz, Fl. Ind. Occ. 741 De Cand. Ann. du Museum, 

 XVII. 419. t. 15. 



HAB. Near Bridgehill; and road from Blackgrove to Pleas- 

 ant-Hill, St. Andrew's. 



FL. January. 



