INCOMPLETE. 353 



SANTALACE^E (THE SANDAL-WOOD ORDER) consists of herbs, 

 shrubs, or trees with entire leaves ; the 4-5-cleft perianth valvate in the 

 bud, its tube adherent to the ovary. Stamens superposed to the lobes of 

 the perianth ; ovary 1 -celled, with 2-4 ovules suspended from the apex of 

 a free stalk-like central placenta, arising from the base of the cell j the 

 indehiscent fruit 1-seeded ; seed with abundant perisperm filling the peri- 

 carp ; embryo straight ; radicle superior. Illustrative Genera : Thesium, 

 L. j Osyris, L. ; Santalum, L. 



Affinities, &c. The definite pendulous ovules, consisting of a naked 

 nucleus attached to a free central placenta and protruding the embryo-sac 

 before or after fertilization, are very remarkable and striking characters 

 in this Order. The entire seed is formed in the embryo-sac, outside the 

 nucleus. Van Tieghem thinks that the stamen is not autonomous, but is 

 a production from the sepal. He also thinks that the placenta is a dedu- 

 plication from the ovary, and that the ovule is the termination of one of 

 these appendages, one for each of the three carpels. Baillon considers that 

 the perianth of Thesium and Santalum is a corolla by reason of the simulta- 

 neous, not successive, evolution, &c. The " calycode " is an expansion of 

 the receptacle. The nearest relations are probably with the Loranthacere,- 

 which, however, differ in habit, being stem-parasites, and having less 

 complete and sometimes imperfect flowers. Thesium is partially parasitic 

 on the roots of other plants. There is a more remote relation to Olacacese 

 and allied Orders in the perianth and ovule. 



Distribution. A small Order ; the European and North- American 

 species are inconspicuous herbs ; in India and Australia they are shrubs 

 or small trees. 



Qualities and Uses. Sandal-wood, the wood of Santalum album, is 

 perhaps the best-known production of this Order. The seeds of the 

 Quandang Nut (Ftisanus acuminatus) are eaten like almonds in Australia. 

 Some species are astringent. 



BALANOPHORACE^E are root-parasites with amorphous fungoid 

 stems, destitute of leaves, never green, with fleshy subterraneous rhizomes 

 or tubers, and naked or scaly peduncles bearing spikes of flowers ; flowers 

 mostly unisexual j male flowers conspicuous, with a tubular entire, slit, 

 or 3-5-lobed perianth, valvate*in the bud j stamens usually 3-5, more or 

 less connate, or distinct ; female flowers very minute ; perianth with the 

 tube adherent, and mostly without a limb, or 2-lipped ; ovary inferior, 

 mostly 1-celled ; styles 2 ; ovule solitary, pendulous ; fruit a small, com- 

 pressed, 1-seeded nut ; seed with hard granular perisperm and a lateral 

 amorphous embryo. Illustrative Genera : Balanophora, Forst. ; Cynomo- 

 rium, Michel. ; Sarcopfyte, Sparrm. ; Helosis, Rich. 



Affinities, &c. The peculiar parasitic habit and fungoid texture of the 

 plants of this and the two succeeding Orders have induced many authors 

 to separate them from all other Flowering plants as a distinct class ; but 

 the grounds of this separation seem untenable : parasitism occurs in plants 

 of the most varied structure, and this character of habit is not even of 

 ordinal value. The structure of the stems of Balanophoracese is merely a 



