BUTACE^J. 401 



Melanococca belongs to a small abnormal subseries in this group, 

 as its flowers, otherwise constructed like those of Zanthoxylum,, have, 

 it is said, uniovulate carpels, succeeded by monospermous drupes, 

 and its compound pinnate leaves have no glandular punctures. 

 Comeurya, incompletely known, has the same pinnate leaves ; 

 but the floral receptacle is cupuliform, and the androceuin dip- 

 lostemonous. 



Three small Mexican genera, Decalropis, Polgaster and Megastigma, 

 form also a separate subseries, in which the flowers are always 

 hermaphrodite, small, diplostemonous, and the leaves imparipinnate. 

 In the two former the carpels are free, and the same in number as 

 the petals, while those of Megastigma are united among themselves 

 in an ovary with two or three cells, surmounted by a style with large 

 stigmatiferous dilatation. Decatropis has ascending ovules, exterior 

 micropyle, and carpels bicarinate upon the sides. In Polgaster the 

 ovaries are oblong, without bracts, and the descending ovules have 

 a superior and exterior micropyle. 



In the subseries Pilocarpece, Pilocarpus has alternate, opposite, 

 or verticillate leaves, 1-3-foliolate or imparipinnate, and flowers 

 in racemes or spikes, isostemonous, with valvate or slightly imbri- 

 cated corolla, and an ovary with several cells, the backs prolonged 

 into more or less prominent lobes. Esenbechia is distinguished 

 by its free carpels more or less covered with tubercles and its flowers 

 disposed in racemes or c} T mes. Helietta has the same gynaeceum as 

 Pilocarpus, with two or three cells becoming at maturity as many 

 distinct samaras. Lunasia has also an ovary with three cells prolonged 

 above into a dorsal wing. The fruit is capsular, and all the verticils 

 of the flowers are generally trimerous. In Hortia, whose place in this 

 subseries is a little doubtful, the pentamerous flowers are nearly 

 those of Eseribeckia ; the leaves are simple or trifoliolate ; the eatyx 

 cupuliform, five-dentate, the petals valvate ; and the fruit is a five- 

 celled beriy, containing seeds with albuminous embryo. 



Acrony chia has, like Hortia, a single ovary containing four biovulate 

 cells. The petals are valvate, the androceum diplostemonous, the 

 leaves opposite or alternate, unifoliolate, rarely trifoliolate. Halfordia, 



form petals, isostemonous perigynous androceum numerous hypogynous stamens and free carpels, 

 and 4-5-lobed ovary, digitate leaves 5-10-folioled. eight in number. The leaves are alternate and 

 The latter has with tetramerous flowers an trifoliolate. 

 imbricated perianth with very unequal leaves, 



V01,. TV. f D 



