Tetrameles] LVI. DATISCACE^E 347 



3 "'<■ under ConibrelacecB). Petals numerous, spreading, stamens x, about half the 

 length of petals. Fruit fleshy, pear-shaped, umbilicate at the top, with spine-bearing 

 tubercles near the apex. The joints strike root, but it is chiefly spread by birds, which 

 eat the fruit and drop the seed. 



Order LVHI. ARALIACEvE. Gen. PL i. 931. 



Trees or shrubs, rarely herbs, erect or climbing, sometimes epiphytic, 1. 

 alternate, simple or compound. Fl. regular, usually pentamerous, umbellate, 

 rarely racemose or capitate. Calyx adnate to ovary, limb short, usually entire, 

 rarely toothed or lobed, petals mostly triangular, caducous. Stamens as many 

 as petals, rarely numerous, filaments inflexed in bud, anthers didymous, versa- 

 tile, disk egigynous, Ovary 2- or more celled, 1 ovule in each cell. Fr. a 

 drupe or berry, seeds pendulous, embryo minute in dense fleshy albumen. 



All Araliacece have canals in the bark and pith, filled with resin or gum. In many 

 species vascular bundles are found in the pith. The wood is generally light and soft, 

 and many sp:*cies have a large pith, among others, Watsia papyri/era, Benth., the rice- 

 paper plant of Japan and Formosa. 



A. Cells of ovary 5, rarely 4 or 6. 



L. digitate, petals 5 or 6, valvate 

 I., pinnate, petals imbricate 



L. pinnate, petals valvate. thirk 



I., simple, umbels numerous, panicle. I 



L. simple, umbels solitary or few 



B. Cells "f "vary 2-5. 



Albumen ruminated, petal- valvate, edge of leaves 



bristl v-ciliate. ....... ~>. (Iamiii.ka. 



Albumen uniform, petals slightly imbricate . . (i. A B alia 



C. Cells of ovary '2. petals valvate. 



Pedicels continuous, styles distinct. 



L. digitate ......... Acanthopanax(p.351). 



Ii. tripinnate 7. Heteropanax. 



Pedicels continuous, styles united . . . .8. Brassaiopsis. 

 I'edieels articulate, styles united, 1. digitate . . 9. Macropanatj. 



D. Ovary' one-celled, I. simple, pinnate and bi- or tri- 



pinnate .......... Ain iiiinpiivi. i.i'M 



E. i Sells "i •". ary 6-12. 



L. digitate. II. in heads. ...... BltASSAIA (p. 353). 



L. palmate, tl. umbellate 10. Teevesia. 



I'". Cells of ovary very numerous, sto us r. Topidanthos (p. 854). 



Helwingia belongs more properly t" Cornatece, in which order it has 1 a entered. 



1. Heftapleueum. 



2. Pent.vianax. 

 Polyscias (p. 349). 



3. Hedera. 



i. Dendropakax. 



(p. 353). 



1. HEPTAPLEURUM, Gaertn : PI. Brit. Ind. ii. 727. 



I [ncluded in Schefflera by Barms in Eugler u. Prantl iii. 8. 35. 



Unarmed trees or large shrubs, often epiphytic. Leaves digitate, loatlots of 

 old trees entire or remote!} toothed, of coppice shoots and young trees often 

 lolied. I'tnbels generally in pnuieled racemes, bracts woolly, pedicels nol 

 articulate. Fl. often polygamous, male and bisexual, petals valvate, generally 

 r. or 6, often cohering in a cap which is raised by the stamens, ('vary with 



as uiany cells as there are petals. Fr. often fleshy, goneralh ridged when 

 dry, enclosing ."> ii |icrgaiiientaceous ormembranous pyrenes in which the seeds 



Ho Loose, Albumen often more or less ruminate, species .">.>. tropics of tl 11 



world, 



A. I'Y. crowned by the long connate styles, seeds t'"ii\ o\. albumen often 



ruminate. 



