CALYCIFLOR^:. 255 



seeds of Entada Piirscetha contain a saponifying substance. Some kinds 

 of Mimosa and Prosopis are said to have poisonous properties. Acacia 

 varians, of Australia, has been called the Poison-tree. It is hardly neces- 

 sary to add that a great number of plants from all these Suborders are 

 cultivated for the sake of their beautiful flowers. 



form a very anomalous group of 3 or 4 species only, 

 marked by the following characters : Trees with 2-3-pinnate leaves and 

 thin deciduous stipules ; flowers irregular, 5-merous ; sepals and petals 

 petaloid; stamens 8-10 on a disk in the tube of the calyx, the outer 

 circle sometimes sterile ; anthers 1-celled ; ovary superior, stalked, 1-celled 

 with 3 parietal many-ovuled placentas ; fruit a long 3-valved pod with 

 the seeds in the middle of the valves ; seeds without perisperm. The 

 species are natives of Arabia and the East Indies, and have generally been 

 referred to the vicinity of the Leguminosse, principally on account of their 

 perigynous irregular flowers, pinnate leaves, and pod-like fruits. The 

 structure of the ovary removes them widely from LeguuiinosaB, on account 

 of the parietal placentation, since, judging from Rosaceae, the occurrence 

 of additional carpels in Leguminosae would be accompanied by an apo- 

 carpous condition, or at least by axile placentas. Uiphaca and Ccesalpinia 

 diyyna (Legiiminosaa) are in fact described as having 2 legumes ; but the 

 monstrous forms of Gleditschia referred to by De Candolle are said to have 

 2 coalescent carpels. Hence Lindley places this Order in the neighbour- 

 hood of Violaceae, and conceives that it approaches Polygalacese. Others 

 place it between Capparids and Resedacese, to the" former of which 

 orders it is certainly closely allied. The root of Moringa plerygosperma 

 is pungent and aromatic, resembling Horse-radish. A gum like Traga- 

 canth exudes from the bark. The seeds are the Ben-nuts ; and the oil of 

 Ben was formerly highly esteemed for perfumery, and for lubricating 

 watchwork, on account of its comparative freedom from easily-solidifying 

 fatty ingredients. 



ROSACES. THE ROSE ORDER. 

 Coli. Rosales, Benth. et Hook. 



Diagnosis. Herbs, shrubs, or trees usually with alternate, stipu- 

 late leaves, regular bisexual or unisexual flowers ; numerous (rarely 

 few) distinct stamens springing from the calyx ; carpels 1 or many, 

 either quite distinct or coherent, and enclosed in the tube of the 

 receptacle ; seeds (anatropous) 1 or few in each ovary, aperi- 

 spermic ; embryo straight, with large and thick cotyledons ; leaves 

 alternate, stipulate. 



Character. 



Thalamus convex, elongated, or concave, forming a tube (calyx- 

 tube, receptacular tube). Calyx synsepalous, with 4-5 lobes, 

 the odd lobe posterior, i. e. next the axis, when 5 ; sometimes 

 with an epicalyx. Corolla : petals 5, distinct, emerging from the 

 calyx, rarely absent. Stamens definite or indefinite, given off 



