94 TILIACE^. 



Herbs, or sometimes shrubby plants ; with alternate and 

 serrate petioled leaves, usually deciduous stipules, and very 

 short one -few-flowered peduncles opposite the leaves. Flow- 

 ers small, yellow. 



Etymology. Kopxopos, or KopKopos, is an ancient name of the Wild 

 Asparagus, or some other wild herb, of unexplained meaning. 



Geographical Distribution. Natives of the tropics, both of the Old 

 and of the New World, one or two species extending into the southern bor- 

 der of the northern temperate zone. Thus C. siliquosus is found in Louis- 

 iana and Alabama. 



Properties. Corchorus olitorius is used in the East as a pot-herb. The 

 bark of several species yields a useful fibre ; that of C. capsularis, as re- 

 marked under the order, furnishes the material of gunny-bags, and the jute 

 fibre of India. 



Note. The common Corchorus Japonicus of the gardens should not be 

 confounded with this genus, as it belongs even to an entirely different family. 

 As originally brought to Europe and this country, it was known only in the 

 double-flowered state, and was doubtfully referred to Corchorus on account of 

 some general resemblance in foliage. But long before specimens with per- 

 fect flowers were known in Europe, it was shown to belong to the Rosaceas 

 by De Candolle, who gave to it the name of Kerria Japonica. 



PLATE 137. Corchorus siliquosus, Linn.; — a branch in flower and 

 fruit, of the natural size. 



1. A flower-bud, enlarged. 



2. Transverse section of the same diagram (showing the aestivation, &c.). 



3. An expanded flower, magnified. 



4. A petal, more magnified. 



5. A magnified stamen, seen from the outside. 



6. The same, seen from within. 



7. Pistil, with its torus or receptacle, magnified. 



8. Vertical and transverse section of the same, more magnified, showing 



the arrangement of the ovules. 



9. A detached ovule, more enlarged ; its raphe towards the eye. 



10. Upper part of a dehiscent pod, enlarged, showing the seeds, &c. 



11. Vertical and transverse section of the pod before dehiscence, enlarged, 



showing the embryo in the seeds, &c. 



12. A separate seed, inverted, more magnified. 



13. Embryo detached and magnified, brought into the same position as the 



seed in fig. 12. , 



