468 



CONNARACE.E. 



[Hypogynous Exogens. 



Order CLXXV. CONNARACE^.— Connarads. 



Tevebintace*. Just. Gen. 368. (1789) in parl.-C<mna«ce*, R. Brown ini ^M»- (m*U Kunth in 



Ann. Sc. A'at. 2. 359 ; Endl. Gen. ccxlvii. ; Metsner Gen. 78 ; Wight Illustr. 1. 162. 



Dulgnosts^— Rvtol Exogens, with apocarpous fruit, and collateral ascending orthotropal 



sessile ovules. 

 Trees or shrubs, sometimes climbing. Leaves compound, not dotted, alternate, with- 

 out stipules. Flowers terminal and axillary, in racemes or panicles, with bracts, 0, 



rarely $ ? by abortion. Calyx o-parted, 

 regular, persistent ; aestivation either imbri- 

 cate or valvular. Petals 5, inserted on the 

 calyx, imbricated, rarely valvate in aestiva- 

 tion. Stamens twice the number of petals, 

 hypogynous, those opposite the petals shorter 

 than the others ; filaments usually monadel- 

 phous. Carpels solitary, or several, each 

 with a separate style and stigma ; ovules 2, 

 collateral, orthotropal, ascending ; styles ter- 

 minal ; stigmas usually dilated. Fruit dehis- 

 cent, follicular, splitting lengthwise internally. 

 Seeds erect, in pairs, or solitary, with or 

 without albumen, often with an aril ; radicle 

 superior, at the extremity opposite the hilum; 

 cotyledons thick in the species without albu- 

 men, foliaceous in those with albumen. 



Brown says that the genus Connams can 

 only be distinguished from leguminous plants 

 by the relation the parts of its embryo bear 

 to the umbilicus of the seed ; that is to say, 

 by the radicle being at the extremity most 

 remote from the hilum. This observation 

 must however, be understood to refer only to some particular cases among leguminous 

 Sail's Z Lalso to the fructification; the want of stipules and regular flowers being 

 Lually sufficient to distinguish Connarads. From Anacards and others they are 

 once known by the total want of resinous juice, and their orthotropal ovules. Bio^i 

 considers that Cnestis approaches Averrhoa in Oxalids, and this genus, according t 

 AdrieTde Jussieu, is allied to Xanthoxyls through Brunellia Cnestis has a valvate 

 oalyx, and some albumen about its embryo. Dr. Wight, who has had opportumt es of 

 "studymg the Order, observes that the hypogynous insertion of the stamens and the 

 5 celled ovary, on a svnol.^o, of Connarus and Cnestis, indicate a very close approach 

 to Xanthoxyls. [Bentham has pointed out the presence of stipules in several 



insfciiLIlC63 I 



The species are all tropical, and most common in America, according to Endlicher. 



The aril of some species of Omphalobium is eatable, and their seeds oily. Eurycoma 

 loneifolia the Punowur Pait of Malacca, is regarded by Oxley as a valuable febriluge.- 

 Grifflth The beautiful Zebra-wood of the cabinet-makers has been ascertained b\ 

 Schomburgk to be produced by Omphalobium Lamberti, a large Guiana tree 1 i 

 Wight says that they are handsome flowering shrubs, conspicuous for their bright tee 



capsules. 



GENERA. 



Malbrancia, Neck. I Connarus, Kunth. Cnestis, Juts. 



Santaloides, Linn. Bprsocarpus, Schum. ? Thysanus, Lour. 



Omphalobium, O'drtn. I Tapomana, Adans. 



Fig. CCCXXV. 



Connarus, Linn. 

 Rourea, Aubl. 

 Robergia, Schreb. 



Numbers. Gen. 5. Sp. 41. 



Fabacem. 

 Position. — Anacardiacea. — Connarace^e.- 



Fie fCCWV -Connams piunatus.- Wight. 1. a flower ; 2. stamens and pistil ; 3. ovary opene. 

 perpfndiculariy ■ 4. a cross section of it ; 5. half a seed-vessel ; 6. cross section of an embryo. 



