64 NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



they bear tolerably developed membranous leaves. They are 

 5 -nerved in Talguenea^ the fruit of which is enclosed in the recep- 

 tacular cupule, and trinerved in Trevoa^ the drupe of which is 

 superiorly exserted. In the two latter genera, the calicinal petaloid 

 sac is not accompanied by any glandular thickening constituting 

 a distinct layer belonging to a disk. 



The family Rhamnacece was proposed in 1814 by R Brown.^ An 

 order of Buckthorns [Rhamni) is doubtless found in the Genera of 

 A. L. DE JussiEU ; ^ but it is scarcely other than the family of Jujubes 

 {ZkypM) of Adanson,^ with the name changed, and some genera of 

 unicarpellar Rosacece which it contained removed. There remain 

 then the Staphylece, the Ilicinece^ the Celastracece, the Bruniece^ certain 

 Rosacece as Carpodetus^ some Cornece as Aucuha^ some Myrsinece 

 as Samara^ etc. R. Beown clearly established that his Rhamnece 

 should comprise only those of the Rhamni of Jussieu "which 

 have the ovary more or less adherent to the tube of the calyx, 

 sepals of valvate preefloration, and stamens equal in number and 

 alternating with the sepals; an ovary of which each of the two 

 or three cells contains one erect ovule ; an erect embryo, generally 

 situated in the axis of a fleshy albumen or entirely destitute of 

 albumen ; the petals to which the stamens are opposite, enveloping 

 the anthers with their concave limb and sometimes wanting." Ad. 

 Brongniart, in a special monograph* in 1826, adopted this family 

 of Rhamnem as conceived by R. Brow^, and, after him, A. P. 

 DE Candolle,^ and it then comprised nineteen genera still preserved, 

 viz. : PaliuruSy Zkyphus^ Condalia^ Berchemia^ Ventilago^ Sageretia^ 

 Rhamnus^ Scutia^ Retanilla^ Colletia, Hovenia^ Coluhrina^ CeanotJms^ 

 Noltia ( Willemetia\ Pomaderris, Cryptandra^ Phylica^ Gouania and 

 Crumenaria. Ten years later, Endltcher,^ imbibing the ideas of 

 Eeissek, to whom we are indebted for great labours on this family, 

 divided it, after him, into six tribes, and adopted the two new genera 

 Cormonema and Alphitonia of this author (to whom he dedicated a genus 



* Flind. Voy. ii. 554 ; Misc. Works (ed. * Memoire sur la Famille des Rhamneos {Auu, 



Benn.), i. 26 {Rhamnece). Sc. Nat. ser. 1, x. 320). 



2 376, Ord. 13 (1789). , ^ Prodr. ii. (1825), 19, Ord. 5Q. 



3 Fam. des PL U. 297. Fam. 42 (1763). « Gen. 1094, Ord. 239 {Rhamnece). 



