HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS. 



311 



CED 



which separate from a thick axis; the 

 seeds ai'e numerous, flat, winged, and 

 anatropal, that is, with the opening near 

 the hilum, (which see,) and the chalaza 

 (which see) at the opposite end. There 

 are two sub-orders, viz. : Smeteniece, with 

 the filaments of the stamens united. 2. 

 Cedrelece, in which the filaments are not 

 united. They are natives of the tropics 

 of America and India, and very rare in 

 Africa. The plants of this order are 

 generally fragrant, aromatic, and tonic. 

 Many supply compact, beautifully- veined 

 timber, such as the well-known Mahoga- 

 ny of tropical America, (Swietenia Mahag- 

 oni,) the Satin-wood of India, (Chlorox- 

 ylon Swietenia,) the Yellow-wood of New 

 South Wales, (Oxleya xanthoxyla,} the 

 Red-wood of Coromandel, (Soymidafebri- 

 fuga,) and the Toon of India, or Simal- 

 Kun of the Lepchas, (Cedrela Toona.) 

 A kind of oil is procured from Satin- 

 wood, and the barks of Cedrela febrifuga, 

 as well as the Mahogany Tree, and others, 

 are used medicinally in intermittent fe- 

 vers, etc. There are nine known genera 

 and twenty-five species. Swietenia, Ce- 

 drelea, Flindersia, and Soymida are exam- 

 ples of the order. 

 Gedrelads. The English name for Cedre- 



Celastracece, (Gelastrinece, Spindle Trees.) 

 A natural order of the Calycifloral Poly- 

 petalous Dicotyledons belonging to Lind- 

 ley's Ehamnal Alliance. The order con- 

 sists of shrubs or small trees with alter- 

 nate, rarely opposite simple leaves, hav- 

 ing stipules which fall off. The flowers 

 are in axillary cymes, and are small, 

 either green, white, or purple; the sepals 

 and petals are four to five, imbricate, the 

 petals being sometimes wanting; the 

 stamens are four to five, inserted on a 



GEL 



large disk, which surrounds the ovary 

 and incloses it. The fruit is two to five- 

 celled, capsular or drupaceous, (cherry- 

 like;) the seeds usually with an aril, 

 (which see,) albuminous, with a large, 

 straight embryo. The plants are natives 

 of the warmer pails of Europe, North 

 America, and Asia, and far more abund- 

 ant beyond the tropics than within them. 

 There are two sub-orders, viz. : Euon- 

 ymeae, the fruit dry and capsular. 2. 

 Elceodendrece, the fruit drupaceous or 

 cherry-like. They are more or less acrid 

 in their properties, and some yield oils. 

 The Spindle Trees have a beautiful scar- 

 let aril, (which see,) which is derived 

 from the sides of the opening in the seed. 

 The species of Euonymus in America, 

 from their crimson capsules and arils, are 

 called Burning Bush. Celastrus scandens, 

 which is common in our woods, is often 

 called Wax-work. The wood of the Eu- 

 ropean Spindle Tree is used in France 

 for making a coarse gunpowder. There 

 are thirty-five known genera and two 

 hundred and eighty species. Celastrus, 

 Euonymus, and Ekeodendron are exam- 

 ples of this order. 



Cella. A name sometimes given to a form 

 of the penthecium (which see) among 

 Fungi. 



Cells, Cellules. Cavities in the interior of a 

 plant. The cells of tissue are those 

 which form the interior of the elemen- 

 tary vesicles. Cells of the stem, air-cells, 

 etc., are spaces organically formed by a 

 peculiar building up of tissue for various 

 vital purposes. 



Cellular. Composed of cells. 



Cellulares. A name given to Cryptogamiae, 

 from an idea that they consist entirely of 

 cells; but it is now known that vascular 

 tissue exists in many of the higher forms. 



