RUTACEA. 411 
internal angle of each cell is inserted a descending anatropous 
ovule, with superior and exterior micropyle. The fruit is a drupe, 
with smooth, fragile epicarp, and fleshy, oily mesocarp traversed by 
bundles of vascular fibres, with pentagonal hard, bony,’ monosper- 
mous stone. The descending seed contains under its coats a thick 
exalbuminous embryo, with plano-convex cotyledons, sometimes 
unequal, bilobed or corrugate, and a short superior radicle. The 
two Balanites known’ are shrubs* from the warm regions of Africa 
and South Western Asia. Their branches bear abortive twigs 
transformed into spines (fig. 460), and alternate leaves, with two 
folioles, entire, coriaceous, not punctuate, articulate, accompanied 
by two small lateral stipules. The flowers‘ are united in cymes 
occupying the axil of the leaves, or that of bracts arranged in gra- 
dation on a common axis; the pedicels are articulate at the base. 
TX. QUASSIA SERIES. 
The genus Qwassia’ has long been reduced to one celebrated 
species Q. amara (figs. 464-467). It is a small tree, with herma- 
phrodite flowers, whose convex receptacle has the shape of a reversed 
cone. On a level with its small base (which is inferior) five sepals 
are inserted quincuncially imbricated in the bud, and five petals, 
alternate with them, much longer, contorted in prefloration, gene- 
rally together as in a tube even at anthesis (fig. 465), more rarely 
expanded or remote. Ten stamens, disposed in two verticils, are 
inserted on the same level as the perianth, superposed, five to the 
sepals, and five shorter to the petals. Each is formed of a slender 
filament, furnished within the base with a velvety scale, and a two- 

1 Upon the transverse section is seen a very 5 L., Gen., n. 521 (part.).—J., Gen., 282.— 
elegant plexus, contrasting by its paleness with 
the deep fawn colour of the endocarp. 
2 L., Spec., 1194 (Ximenia).—R. Br., Mise. 
Works (ed. BENN.), i. 44, 287.—GUILLEM. & 
Prrr., Fl. Sen. Tent., i.103.—Pt., in Ann. Se. 
Nat., sér. 4, ii. 258.—Outv., Fl. Trop. Afr., i. 
314.—Trevir., in Bot. Zeit. (1857), 65. — 
Watpr., Rep. i, 379; Ann., i. 126; iv. 354; 
vii. 542. 
% With bark bitter like the sarcocarp. 
* Small greenish or whitish pubescent, with 
grateful odour. 
Lamx., Il, t. 343, fig. 1—Porr., Dict., vi. 
23 ; Suppl., iv. 636 (part.).—DC., in Ann. Mus., 
xvii. 823; Prodr., i. 733.—A. Juss., in Mém. 
Mus., xii, 513, t. 25, fig. 43.—Turp., in Dict, 
Se. Nat., Atl., t. 125.—Spacu, Suit. à Buffon, 
ii. 373.—EnDL., G'en., n. 5962.—B. H., Gen., 
308, 992, n. 1.—Ac., Theor. Syst. t. 19, 
fig. 2—H. BN., in Adansonia, xi. fase. 1 
(incl.: Aruba AuBz., Homalolepis Turcz., 
Phyllostema NEcx., Simaba AUBL., Zwingera 
SCHREB.). 
