426 MANUAL OF NATURAL HISTORY. 



or shrubs leaves alternate, stipulate ; 

 flowers small, axillary, fasciculate or corym- 

 bose ; sepals and petals five ; aestivation 

 incurved, valvate ; stamens five, alternate 

 with petals ; ovary 2-3-celled ; styles 2-3 ; 

 Btigmas capitate or obscurely 2~lobed ; fruit 

 drupaceous, rather dry, 1, 2, 3-celled ; seeds 

 pendulous. A small family, occurring in 

 Sierra Leone, Madagascar, Timor, and Equi- 

 noctial America. 



7- FAMILY. Buckthorns (Rhamnacese). Trees or 

 shrubs, often spiny ; leaves mostly alternate ; 

 stipules when present very minute; flowers 

 small, generally green, axillary or termi- 

 nal, rarely unisexual ; calyx 4-5-clefb, val- 

 vate ; petals distinct, hooded, or convolute ; 

 stamens opposite petals ; ovary 2, 3, 4-celled ; 

 fruit fleshy and indehiscent, or dry and se- 

 parating into three parts ; seeds erect. Found 

 in most parts of the world. Among the spe- 

 cies are the Common-Buckthorn, Black- Alder, 

 the Jujube-plant, the " Lotus" of the ancients, 

 Christ's-thorn, New-Jersey Tea, &c. 



8. FAMILY. Aloes-Woods (Aquilariacese). Trees; 

 leaves alternate or opposite, exstipulate ; 

 flowers apetalous; perianth coriaceous, im- 

 bricate, or tubular ; stamens 5, 8, or 10 ; 

 ovary 2-celled ; ovules two, anatropal ; stigma 

 usually sessile ; fruit capsular, sessile or sti- 

 pulate, and 2-valved, or drupaceous and inde- 

 hiscent ; seeds two, pendulous. Natives of 



