190 III. CALYCANTHE^l. 



ovuled. OVULES anatropous. CARPELS follicular, or berried. SEEDS erect or ascending, 

 usually arillate, albuminous. EMBRYO dicotyledonous, minute, straight, axile. 



STEM arborescent or frutescent, sometimes climbing, rarely sub-woody or 

 herbaceous (Acrotrema,, Hibbertia). LEAVES alternate, very rarely opposite (Hibbertia},. 

 entire or toothed, rarely pinnatifid or 3-fid ; stipules 0, or adnate to the petiole, 

 and caducous. FLOWERS $ , or polygamous, rarely dioecious, solitary, or racemose, 

 or panicled, usually yellow, SEPALS 5, rarely fewer (Tetracera, &c.), or oo (Empe- 

 doclea), imbricate, persistent, PETALS 5, or fewer (Davilla, &c.), alternate with the 

 sepals, hypogynous, imbricate, deciduous. STAMENS o>, rarely definite (Hibbertia, 

 &c.), hypogynous, sometimes unilateral (Hibbertia}, usually free, rarely mon-poly- 

 adelphous (Hibbertia, Candollea} ; anthers introrse or extrorse, cells linear or sub- 

 globose, adnate, often separate and overtopped by the connective, opening vertically 

 or by an apical pore. OVARIES several, distinct or coherent, sometimes solitary (Em- 

 pedoclea, Doliocarpus, Delima, &c.) ; styles terminal or sub-dorsal, divergent ; stigmas 

 simple or sub-capitate; ovules 2 or several, 2- seriate, ascending, raphe ventral, rarely 

 solitary and erect (Schumacheria), anatropous or half-anatropous. CARPELS some- 

 times dehiscing by the ventral or dorsal suture or indehiscent, crustaceous or 

 berried. SEEDS solitary or few, ovoid, arillate (except Dillenia), testa crustaceous, 

 aril pulpy or membranous, cup-shaped, laciniate ; albumen fleshy. EMBRYO minute, 

 straight, basilar; radicle near the hilum, inferior. 



PRINCIPAL GENERA. 



CftiidnlliM. Dillenia. Acrotrema. Delima. 



lliblxrrtin. "VVormia. Tetracera. Ditvilla. 



Dillfiriacctr are more or less closely alKed to Magnoliaeetr., Anonafete, ad Ruminculaceee. (See these 

 families.) 



Dilhtnacetf are chiefty natives of the southern hemisphere. Tropical America and Asia possess about an 

 equal number of species; they are rare in Africa. Dillenia is confined to tropical Asia; Hibbertia and 

 Candollea are specially extra-tropical Australian. Hitherto none have been found in South Africa or tem- 

 perate South America. 



DiHeniacea are astringent and some are so u?ed medicinally. The fruits of a very few are acidulous; 

 others are reputed tonic stimulants. The leaves of Davilla elliptica, a Brazilian shrub, are vulnerary ; 

 those of Cwatella Cainbaiba, applied to ulcers, are detergent. Tetracera Titjarea, of Guiana and the 

 Antilles, is a sudorific and diuretic ; a decoction of it is given for syphilis ; and a vinous infusion of its 

 seeds is said to be efficacious in intermittent fevers, chlorosis, and scurvy. The astringent baj-k of DHlnria 

 serrata is employed in Asia for ulcerated sores. The acid but uneatable fruit of D. spccioxa serves to season 

 dishes; and a syrup of the juice of the unripe fruit allnys coughs, assists expectoration, and cures angina 

 and aphthfe ; its bruised bark is applied as a cataplasm in arthritis, and, like that of other species, is used 

 for tanning. 



III. CALYCANTttEjE, LiniU. 



COROLLA 0. STAMENS numerous, inserted on the calyx. CARPELS numerous, free, 

 inserted ivithin the receptacular tube. EMBRYO dicotyledonous, exalbuminous. STEM 

 woody. LEAVES opposite, exstipulate. 



SHRUBS with 4-angled stems. LEAVES opposite, petiolate, entire, exstipulate. 



