Coriariece Coriaria. 113 



ORDER XXXVI. CORIARIE^l. 



This order consists of one genus and about six species, rather 

 widely dispersed, occurring on the shores of the Mediterranean, 

 through the mountains of Northern India to Japan, and in 

 New Zealand and South America. 



1. CORIAftlA. 



Unarmed shrubs with simple opposite 1- to 5-nerved leaves 

 and small green axillary flowers. Disk none. Sepals 5, per- 

 sistent, membranous on the margin. Petals 5, hypogynous, 

 shorter than the sepals, fleshy, keeled on the inside. Stamens 

 10. Carpels 5 to 10, distinct, more or less fleshy, with one 

 pendulous seed in each. The name is from corium, a covering 

 or hide, from the crustaceous carpels. 



1. C. myrtifolia. This is a handsome shrub from 3 to 6 

 feet high. Leaves ovate-lanceolate, entire, 3-nerved, glabrous 

 and glaucous ; petioles very short. Flowers inconspicuous. A 

 native of the Mediterranean region. 



ORDER XXXVII LEGUMINOS.ffi. 



SUB-ORDER I. Papilionaceae. 



Trees, shrubs, or herbs of very diverse habit. Leaves bisti- 

 pulate, alternate, rarely opposite, pinnate, digitate, or more 

 rarely simple ; leaflets entire, lobed or toothed, sometimes 

 stipellate. Inflorescence various. Flowers irregular, usually 

 hermaphrodite. Sepals normally 5, more or less united, the fifth 

 lobe anterior, the two posterior sometimes combined, forming 

 a bilabiate calyx. Petals 5, unequal, imbricate, erect, rarely 

 spreading ; the upper one (standard) free, broad, often reflexed ; 

 the two lateral (wings) enclosing and sometimes adhering to 

 the two lower (keel), rarely smaller ; the two lowest inside the 

 others and usually more or less united and curved upwards. 

 Stamens 10, perigynous : filaments united in a sheath, or the 

 upper one free or rarely all free. Fruit a 1 -celled pod, dehis- 

 cent along one or both sutures, or rarely indehiscent, sometimes 

 transversely septate ; seeds 1 or more, inserted on the ventral 



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