402 DICOTYLEDONES — THALAMIFLOR^. 



acrid and purg^ative juice. Leaves coriaceous, with parallel veins. Gar- 

 cinia affords the Mangosteen, and Stalagmitis gambogiodes the power- 

 ful drastic purgative, Gamboge.) 



Ord.XIX. ACERINEZE. Ca/ya,'4— 5_9.partite. Pcta/sof 

 the same number, inserted beneath an hypogynous disk. Stamens 

 about 8, inserted on the disk. Ovary 2-lobed. Style 1. Stig- 

 mas 2. Fruit a double Samara, each 1 -celled, with 1 or 2 erect 

 seeds. Albumen 0. Embryo curved, with foliaceous wrinkled 

 cotyledons. — Trees of the temperate parts of the northern hemi- 

 sphere. Leaves generally simple and lobed, flowers often polyga- 

 mous. — Acer, p. 155 ; — Acer saccharinum of N. America yields 

 Maple- Sugar. 



(HippocASTANE^. Exotic Trces of temperate climates, with digitate 

 leaves. JEsculus Hippucastanum, the Horse- Chestnut.) 



(Rhizobole^. Tropical American trees, with digitate leaves. The 

 Souari Nut is the fruit of Caryocar nuciferum.) 



(Cedrelk.e. Trees, mostly of the tropics, with compound leaves. 

 Swietenia Mahogani, Mahogany Tree ; S.febrifuga and Cedrelafebri- 

 fuga are febrifuges.) 



( Ampelide.'e, Climbing Shrubs, often with tendrils, which, as well 

 as the peduncles, are opposite to the leaves. Vitis, the Vine ; to this 

 genus the Currant of the shops, or Levant Currant, also belongs.) 



Ord. XX. GERANIACE/E. Sepals 5, persistent, with an 

 imbricated aestivation. Petals 5. Stamens generally monadel- 

 phous and twice as many as there are petixls, some occasionally 

 abortive. Ovary 5-lobed, terminated by a long thick beak 

 (torus or gy^iobase), and 5 stigmas. Carpels 5, 1 -celled, even- 

 tually separating from the base of the beak, together with a 

 long elastic awn (the style). Seed solitary, without albumen. 

 Embryo curved. Cotyledons ^oWaceon?,, convolute and plaited. — 

 Herbs or Shrubs, ivith leaves opposite at the joints, or alternate 

 and then opposite the peduncles. No tendrils. — 1. Geranium, p. 

 258. 2. Erodium, p. 257. 



Ord. XXI. BALSA MINE.E. A singular Order, whose 

 flowers have been very diiFerently understood by different Bo- 

 tanists. Keeper's idea is as follows ; — Sepals 5, or 3 by imper- 

 fection, free. Petals 5, unequal, 4 inferior more or less united, 

 the upper one free, symmetrical. Stamens 5 ; filai?ients united 

 at the extremity. Anthers 2-celled, opening at the apex by a 

 longitudinal fissure. Stigmas 5, sessile, acute. Capsule of 5 

 cells, marked with 5 furrows, and bursting with 5 elastic valves. 

 Seeds solitr.ry or numerous, suspended. — Herbaceous a7id succu- 

 lent plants, without stipules. Fruit ivith elastic valves, — Impa- 

 TIENS, p. 77. 



Ord. XXn. OXALIDE.^. Sepals 5, persistent. Petals 

 5, equal, often cohering at the base and twisted in fpstivation. 

 Stamens 10, the j^fomewte generally combined at their base, un- 



