THALAMIFLOB^E. 233 



Soulamea amara (Molucca) is said to be intensely bitter. The more 

 active species of Polygala have emetic, purgative, and diuretic properties: 

 P. Senega, the American Snake-root, with P. sanguined and purpiirea, the 

 Cape P. Serpentaria, the European P. chameebuxus, and the P. crotala- 

 rioides of the Himalayas &c., all show this property ; and they are like- 

 wise all reputed antidotes ag-ainst the poison of snakes. P. venenosa (Java) 

 is regarded as a poison, the properties being excessively concentrated. 

 P. tinctoria (North America) is used in dyeing. The bark of the root of 

 a species of Mundtia contains a saponaceous substance, and is used for 

 washing. Krameria triandra and other species, called Rhatany, are 

 remarkable for the powerful astringent quality of the roots, which gives 

 a deep red colour to an infusion, lihatany-root is used in medicine, and 

 is employed also to adulterate Port wine. 



TREMANDRACE^E are a small Order of plants related to Polygalaceae, 

 but with a regular, symmetrical flower, valvate calyx, free stamens, and 

 seeds hooked at the chalazal end. They may be regarded as regular- 

 flowered Polygalas. De Candolle placed them between Polygalaceae and 

 Pittosporacese. They are slight, heathy shrubs, growing in Australia : 

 16 species are known, belonging to the genera Tremandra, Tetratheca, and 

 Platytheca. They derive their name from the porous dehiscence of the 

 anthers, and are of no known use. 



MALPIGKEIACE^. 

 Series Disciflorae ; Cohort Geraniales, Benth. et Hook. 



Diagnosis. Trees or shrubs, often climbers, with usually opposite or 

 whorled, rarely alternate leaves ; stipules generally short and deciduous, 

 occasionally large and opposite the leaves ; flowers perfect, or polygamous ; 

 calyx and corolla o-merous, calyx with glands at the base of 1 or of all the 

 segments ; petals clawed ; stamens mostly 10, often mouadelphous with a 

 thickened produced connective ; caipels 3, or very rarely 2 or 4, wholly or 

 partly coherent, often keeled ; ovules solitary in the cells, pendulous from 

 long funiculi ; seeds aperispermic ; embryo with mostly convolute thick 

 or leafy cotyledons. Illustrative Genera : Malpighia, Plum, j Hircea j 

 Gaudlchaudia ; Banisteria, L. 



Affinities, &c. The closest relations of this Order are Sapindacese and 

 Aceraceas, from which they are distinguished by their symmetrical flowers, 

 and generally by the glands in the calyx, the long stalks to the petals, the 

 small disk, and solitary ovule. Many of the species have dimorphic 

 flowers. Some of the climbing kinds have stems of anomalous structure 

 with several woody axes, without annual rings, enclosed in a common 

 bark, or ultimately* more or less separated from one another. Nitraria, a 

 genus of saline plants, is sometimes separated as a distinct Order. Two 

 or more embryos in the same seed occur in some species. The Order is 

 a large one, comprising many genera and species, which latter are mostly 

 Tropical-American. Their properties are generally unimportant ; many 

 of them have been introduced into our stoves on account of their showy 

 flowers. The fruits of Malpighia r/labra and punicifolia are eaten in the 

 West Indies, under the name of Barbadoes Cherries. Munby supposes the 



