1WTACEJE. 



419 



A certain number of Quassias have been separated as a tribe, under 

 the name of Picramniece, whose carpels, instead of being independent 

 below, are united into a plurilocular ovary. We remark among these 

 plants Tariri (figs. 4S4, 485), subsequently called Picramnia, consisting 

 of American trees or shrubs, very bitter, with alternate, imparipinnate 

 leaves, analogous by these characters to those of most of the true 



Tariri (Picramnia') poltjantha. 



Fig. 484.. 

 Female flower (y). 



Fig. 485. 

 Long:, sect, of female flower. 



Quassias. Their flowers are dioecious, 3-5-merous, with, or more 

 rarely without, a corolla, and having stamens equal in number to the 

 petals, to which they are superposed. Each of the two or three cells 

 of their ovary contains two collateral descending ovules, with exterior 

 and superior micropyle ; their fruit is a mono- or oligospermous berry, 

 with exalbuminous seeds. Spdthelia, consisting of trees of Western 



Harrisonia Broicnii. 



India, are not bitter, have imparipinnate leaves, and pentamerous, 

 isostemonous flowers, to which succeed triquetrous fruits, with three 

 wings and a hard stone. The embryo is surrounded by a fleshy albu- 

 men. Picrodcndron, a tree from the Antilles, is distinguished by its 

 trifoliolate leaves, the male flowers said to be grouped in catkins, 

 and a drupaceous fruit, whose single seed contains an embiyo with 

 folded cotyledons. Harrisonia (figs. 486-490), consisting of shrubs 



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