EXOGENOUS OR DICOTYLEDONOUS PLANTS. 



409 



son capsules and bright scarlet arils of several species present a 

 striking appearance when the fruit is ripe. 



797. Ol'd. Malpig!liace?e is a large tropical family (with one or two 

 representatives in Texas), of trees, shrubs, and twining plants, with 

 opposite entire leaves, unguiculate petals, and solitary seeds with a 

 curved embryo ; differing from the next in the want of a disk, the 

 more symmetrical flowers, &c. 



798. Orel. SnpilldaceSP {Soapberry Family). Trees, shrubs, or climb- 

 ers with tendrils, rarely herbs, with simple or compound leaves, and 

 mostly unsymmetrical or irregular flowers ; the sepals and petals 

 imbricated in aestivation. Stamens 5 to 10, inserted on a fleshy 

 perigynous or hypogynous disk. Ovary 2-3-celled, 2-3-lobed, with 

 one or two (in Staphylea several) ovules in each cell ; the embryo 

 (except in Staphylea) curved or convolute and without albumen. — 

 Includes a variety of forms, the greater part of which may be ranged 

 under the following suborders, which have been taken for orders. 



799. Sllbord. StapllYlcaceSB {Bladdernut Family) has opposite com- 

 pound leaves with stipules and stipels, regular and perfect pentan- 



FIG. 773. Flowering branch of .Esculus Pavia (Red Buckeye). 774 A flower. 775. Flower 

 ■with the calyx and two of the petals removed. 776 A ground-plan of the flower, showing 

 that its parts are unsymmetrical 777. Vertical section of an ovary, showing two of the cells 

 with a pair of ovules in each, one ascending one descending 778. Cross section of an ovary. 

 779. Cross-section of the immature fruit ; only one fertile seed j the others abortive. 780 

 The dehiscent fruit- 



85 



