NATURAL ///STORY OF PLANTS. 



Ovavy colls multiovulate. Fruit capsular loculiciclal or septifragal. 

 Seeds compressed, albumen wanting or in small quantity. — Trees 

 with leaves generally compound pinnate.^ — 3 genera. 



Affinities. — The McUaceœ are very closely allied to the Sapin- 

 daceœ, and perhaps ought not to be separated from them as a distinct 

 family. It is the rule, we know,'^ that the Sajnndaceœ are distin- 

 guished " by the ascendent ovules, with ventral raphe and exterior 

 micropyle, as well as by their stamens interior to the disk." But 

 we already know that there are several genera of Sapindacece with 

 regular flowers, in which, as in the Mcliaccœ^ the disk disappears or 

 is interior to the stamens. The Aitonia., having the descendent ovule 

 with the superior micropyle and monadelphous stamens, although 

 theii' vesicular fruit brings them very near to certain Sapindaceœ, 

 are intermediate between these and the family now under considera- 

 tion. There is not the slightest reason, we must admit, why we 

 should not attribute genera such as Hippohromus^ Hypelate^ Iliicrtea, 

 Melicocca, to this family as to Sapindaceœ. With the same organs 

 of vegetation, a fruit often analogous, seeds frequently arillate, an 

 embryo usually exalbuminous, the Aleliaceœ seem to represent a 

 regular form of Sapindaceœ, with disk interior to the androceum, 

 superior radicle, and particularly with carpels constantly united, in 

 the lower part, in a plurilocular ovary. 



Uses. — It is not astonishing that the properties ^ of the Meliacem 

 are in great part analogous to those of the Sapindaceœ. Those of 

 3Ielia are the best known and without contradiction very diverse. 

 Thus, the leaves of M. Azederach* (fig. 462-4G4) are employed in 

 India as stomachic and astringent. The inner bark, fruits, and roots 

 are vermicidal, used for tape- worm and the lumbricoid Ascarides. Its 

 fruits have been said to be poisonous, although we are assured that in 



' Unifoliolate in certain Flindcrsia. — Lamk. III. t. 372. — DC. Prodi: i. C21, n. 1. 



2 See p. 385. Meu. et Del. Diet. Mat. Mêd. iv. 290.— 



' Endl. Enchii-id. 551. — Lindl. Vcg. Kingd. Rosenth. op. cit. 763. — Lindl. Fl. Mid. 151. 



464 ; Fl. Miid. 151. — Guib. Diog. Simpl. ed. 6, iii. H. Bn. Diet. Eiicycl. Sc. Med. ser. 2, vi. 416 (Zi7<7s 



586. — RosENTii. Stjn. PI. Diaplwr. 762, 1151. des Indes, de la C/iine, Laurier grec, Arbre sain, 



— H. Bn. Diet. Encycl. Sc. Méd. sér. 2, vi. 417. A. à clxapelets, Margoimcr, Lotier blanc, 



* L. Spec. 650. — Cav. Diss. vii. 303, t. 207. Cyrouenne, Faux-Sycomore, Patenôtn). 



