CXV. CORNER. . 475 



ovules are solitary in the cells, pendulous and anatropous ; the fruit is fleshy and the embryo albuminous, 

 the stem is generally woody, and the flowers are umbelled or capitulate. Cornea only differ in their 

 drupaceous fruit and opposite leaves. 



We place near Araliacece the genus Helwingia, which is connected with them and with Hama- 

 melidece by the valvate aestivation, inferior ovary, pendulous and anatropous ovules, albuminous embryo, 

 woody stem and alternate leaves. 



Araliacece inhabit both hemispheres, but not beyond latitude 52 ; they abound in America and 

 particularly in the mountains of Mexico and New Grenada, and are rare in the parallel regions of Europe 

 and Asia, although the genus Paratropia is numerously represented in the latter. 



This family contains few species useful to man. The leaves of the Ivy (Hedera Helix) are aromatic, 

 and their chlorophyll, dissolved in tallow or oil, serves as a dressing for ulcers ; a decoction of them is 

 also employed against vermin on the body. The root of Panax Ginseng is celebrated in Persia, China 

 and India as a tonic and aphrodisiac. The Aralias of North America are esteemed there as sudorifics and 

 depuratives, the rhizomes of Aralia nudicaule, the bark of the spiny Aralia and the mucilaginous aromatic 

 root of the racemose Aralia are thus used. In Japan the young shoots of Helwingia are eaten. [The 

 beautiful substance called rice paper is the pith of Futsia papyrifera.~] 



CXV. CORNER. 

 (CAPRIFOLIACEARUM tribus, Kunth. CORNERS, D.C. CORNACE^E, Lindl.) 



COROLLA polypetalous, epigynous, isostemonous ; PETALS 4-5, valvate. STA- 

 MENS 4-5, alternate with the petals. OVARY inferior, of 2-3 1-ovuled cells. OVULES 

 pendulous, anatropous. FRUIT a drupe. EMBRYO albuminous, axile. RADICLE 

 superior. 



STEM woody, sometimes subterranean and emitting herbaceous branches. 

 LEAVES opposite or very rarely alternate (Decostea), penninerved, simple, entire or 

 toothed, caducous or persistent, exstipulate. FLOWERS $ , or dioecious by arrest 

 (Griselinia), in a head or umbel with a usually coloured involucre, rarely in a corymb 

 without an involucre. CALYX superior, 4-toothed. PETALS 4-5, inserted on the 

 calyx and alternate with its teeth, valvate in bud, or sub-imbricate in the $ flowers 

 (Griselinia}, deciduous. STAMENS 4-5, alternate with the petals ; filaments filiform, 

 distinct ; anthers introrse, dorsifixed, 2-celled, dehiscence longitudinal. OVARY 

 inferior, 2- (sometimes 3-) celled, crowned by a disk, often scarcely visible; 

 style simple ; stigma capitate ; ovules solitary in each cell, pendulous, anatropous. 

 DRUPES distinct or cohering, stone bony, 2-3-celled, or 1-celled by arrest. SEEDS 

 inverted, integument coriaceous. EMBRYO straight, in the axis of a fleshy albu- 

 men, and equalling it in length ; cotyledons oblong, sub-foliaceous ; radicle short, 



superior. 



PRINCIPAL GENEEA. 



* Cornus. * Benthamia. * Aucuba. * Griselinia. 



[Cornea, as re-classified by Bentham and Hooker fil. for the ' Genera Plantarum/ 

 contains many more exceptional genera than are included in former arrangements 

 of the order. They are thus disposed : 



