632 



HISTORA' OF TJIE VEGETABI.F, KINGDOM. 



lai'ge fleshy cndospevm, in which is contained a 

 small basilar and honiotrope embryo. 



This little family, which is composed of the 

 genera oJax, fisilia, &c., is very distinct from the 

 surantiaccte, in having its leaves witliout dots, 

 its stamina definite, its ovary always unilocular, 

 and its embryo contained in a very large endo- 

 sperm. 



According to Mr Brown, the genus olax is 

 apetalous; in other words, its flower is a calyci- 

 form involucre, and a calyx formed of three 

 sepals; and, on account of the internal structure 

 of its ovary, it approaches the santalaeote. 



MarcgraviacEjE, Choisy. Shrubs very fre- 

 quently sarmentaceous and climbing, parasitic 

 in the manner of the ivy, having the leaves 

 alternate, simple, entire, coriaceous and pereis- 

 tent; the flowere generally disposed in a short 

 spike, resembling a cyme. The flowers arc 

 sometimes oblique at the summit of their long 

 peduncle, which pretty generally bears an irreg- 

 ular bractea, hollow and cowl-shaped, or like a 

 horn. They are hermaphrodite, with a calyx 

 of from four to six or seven short, imbricated, 

 and generally persistent sepals. Tlie corolla is 

 monopetalous, entire, rising like a kind of hood, 

 or formed of five sessile petals. The stamina, 

 which are usually numerous (five only in sou- 

 roubea), have their filaments free. The ovary is 

 globular, surmounted by a sessile stigma, lobed 

 in a stellate form, which is rarely supported upon 

 a style. It has a single cell, which has from 

 four to twelve parietal trophosperms, projecting 

 in the foi-m of half dissepiments, divided at their 

 free edge into two or three variously contorted 

 laminse and all covered with very small ovules. 

 The fruit is globular, coriaceous, internally 

 fleshy, indehiscent, or bursting irregularly into 

 a certain number of valves, the dehiscence of 

 which takes place towards the summit, and 

 which bear a trophosperm on the middle of their 

 inner face. The seeds are very small, and eon- 

 tain immediately under their proper integument 

 a homotrope embryo. 



The genera of which this family is composed 

 are: marcpravia, antJioloma, noranthea, and grnc- 

 roubea. This group is related to the gnttifene; 

 but it is also very intimately allied to the bixi- 

 nese and flacourtianea?, which have also a po!y- 

 petalous corolla, and indefinite stamina, a unilo- 

 cular fruit, and parietal tro])hosperms. ]5ut, in 

 these two families, the leaves are accompanied 

 with stipules, and the embryo is covered by an 

 cndospenn. 



Some of them bear large and showy flowers, 

 among which are hollow, pitcher-like appen- 

 dages. 



GuTTiFBR^, Jussieu. This family is com- 

 posed of trees or shi-ubs, sometimes parasitic, 

 and all abounding in yellow and resinous proper 

 juices. Their leaves, which are opposite, or 



more rarely- alternate, are coriaceous and persis- 

 tent. Their flowers, which are disposed in axil- 

 lar racemes, or terminal panicles, are herma- 

 phrodite, or imisexual and polygamous. Their 

 calyx is persistent, formed of from two to six 

 rounded, often coloured sepals. The corolla is 

 composed of from four to ten petals. Tlie 

 stamina, which are very numerous, rarely in 

 definite number, are free. The ovary is simple, 

 and surmounted by a short style, which is some- 

 times wanting, and which bears a peltate, radiate, 

 or lobed stigma. The fruit is sometimes capsu- 

 lar, sometimes fleshy or drupaceous, a7id some- 

 times opens by several valves, of which the gen- 

 erally inflicted margins are fixed to a single pla- 

 centum, or to several thick placentas. The seeds 

 are composed of a homotrope embryo destitute 

 of endosperm. The guttifera; comprehend n 

 considerable number of genera, all extra-Euro- 

 pean, such as clusia, godoya, malmrca, garcinia, 

 calophyllum, &c. They differ from the hyperi- 

 cinese in having their stamina entirely free, in 

 being furnished with a milky juice, in the 

 absence of transparent dots, &c. 



The yellow juice in which these plants abound, 

 is acrid and purgative. Gamboge, which is a 

 drastic purgative, and affords a yellow paint, ia 

 the concrete juice of a plant of this family. 

 The fruit of garcinia mangostana, is highlj' 

 esteemed. 



Hypericine^, Jussieu. Herbaceous plants, 

 shrubs, or even trees, often resinous, and sprinkled 

 with transparent glands. Leaves opposite, very 

 rarely alternate, simple. Flowers axillar or ter- 

 minal, variously disposed. The calyx has four 

 or five very deep, somewhat unequal divisions. 

 The corolla is composed of four or five petals, 

 spirally twisted previous to their evolution. 

 The stamina are very numerous, uTiited into 

 several fasciculi by the base of their filaments, 

 sometimes monadelphous or free. The ovary is 

 free, globular, surmounted by several styles, 

 which are sometimes united into one. It has 

 as many polyspermous cells as there are styles. 

 The fruit is a capsule, or a berry with several 

 polyspermous cells. In the fonner case it opens 

 by as many valves as there are cells, the margins 

 of the valves being continuous with the dissepi- 

 ments. Tlie seeds, which are very numerous 

 and very small, contain a homotrope embryo, 

 destitute of endosperm. 



This family is composed of a small number 

 of genera : hypcricum, nndroswmum, ascyrum, 

 vismia, &c. Most of the species have, in the 

 substance of their leaves, transparent miliary 

 glands, which, on being bold between the eye 

 and the light, look like so many little holes. 

 This character, together with the very numerous 

 stamina, and the polyspermotis cells of the fruit, 

 perfectly distinguish the hypericines from tlie 

 I families that are allied to it. 



