Ord. STAPHYLEACEiE. 



Frutices erecti, foliis oppositis pmnato-3 - 9-foliolatis stipu- 

 latis, foliolis sermlatis ssepe stipellatis ; — a Celastraceis di- 

 versi foliis compositis, carpellis subdiscretis, et seminibus 

 osseis ssepissime exarillatis ; a Sapindaceis staminibus cum 

 petalis sepalisque isomeris, embryone recto in albumine car- 

 noso. 



Staphyleace^, Bartl. Ord. Nat. p. 381. Lindl. Introd. Nat. Syst. ed. 



2. p. 121, &. Veg. Kingd. p. 381. Endl. Gen. p. 1084. 

 Celastkinearum Trib., DC. Prodr. 2. p. 2. Torr. & Gray, Fl. N. Airier. 



1. p. 256. 



The Bladder-nut Family, first admitted as a distinct order by Bartling, 

 was arranged as a tribe of Celastraceae by De CandoUe. It is thought to be 

 about equally related to the latter family and to the Sapindaceee, in which 

 Reichenbach places Staphylea. From the Celastraceas these plants are 

 distinguished by the pinnate or pinnately trifoliolate leaves, with the leaflets 

 usually stipellate, the colored calyx, the completely or partially distinct 

 carpels, and the bony seeds which (except in Euscaphis) are destitute of 

 an arillus. From SapindaceaB, with which they accord in habit, they are 

 distinguished by their opposite leaves (which are of very rare occurrence 

 in Sapindaceas), their regular and symmetrical pentandrous flowers, and their 

 straight embryo in fleshy albumen. 



The family comprises only three admitted genera, of a small number of 

 species, namely, Turpinia, Ve?it., of the West and East Indies, with baccate 

 fruit ; Euscaphis, Sieb. 4" Zucc, of Japan, witli triple fleshy-coriaceous pods; 

 and Staphylea, L., with its inflated bladdery fruit. One species of the lat- 

 ter genus is given to Japan, one to Europe, and one to the Eastern United 

 States. A species is also mentioned from Java. A Peruvian and two 

 West Indian species, assigned to Staphylea, require confirmation. 



In tlie little that is known of their sensible properties, they agree with the 

 nearly related families. The oily seeds of the Bladder-nut are slightly pur- 

 gative ; and the fresh bark has a strong and rather unpleasant odor. The 

 bark of the root of Euscaphis staphyleoidcs is bitter and astringent ; and its 

 infusion is used by the Japanese as a remedy for dysentery, chronic diarrhoea, 

 &c. The fruit of Turpinia is edible. 



