194 MALPIGHIACEiE. 



which have a winged, samaroid fruit. It is readily distinguished by the 

 entire or barely serrulate leaves ; by the pubescence, when present, consisting 

 of what have been termed Malpighiaceous hairs, namely, fixed by the middle 

 and appressed (Plate 173, fig. 12) ; by the thick glands (wanting in Galphi- 

 mia) which are ordinarily borne on the back of the sepals ; by the conspicu- 

 ously unguiculate and pinnately-veined petals ; by the absence of any glandular 

 disk ; by the usually raonadelphous stamens, and the trimerous gynscium ; 

 and especially by the solitary and peculiar ovules, which hang on a manifest, 

 often elongated funiculus, against which they are reclined (and to which they 

 often partly adhere, so as to exhibit various gradations between the orthotro- 

 pous, campylotropous, and anatropous forms) ; the micropyle, and con- 

 sequently the radicle, always superior. M. de Jussieu also remarks that 

 when the embryo is coiled it is simply spiral ; the cotyledons not folded to- 

 gether in the middle, as in Maples, so as to make a double turn. The pedi- 

 cels are articulated, which is not the case in the Maple Family. 



In flowers of our Galphimia which were examined for delineation, the 

 regular quincuncial arrangement extends from the calyx to the corolla in a 

 simple spiral order ; the first petal being placed where it should be (making 

 allowance for the change which occurs to bring the petals alternate with the 

 sepals) , namely between the first and fourth sepals ; but this, as Jussieu has 

 remarked, is not the common case in the order. 



M. de Jussieu has shown that the stamens which are opposed to the petals 

 belong to an exterior series, and probably arise from a deduplication of the 

 petals. 



Of the sensible qualities of Malpighiacese little is recorded. The bark 

 and the wood sometimes contain a red coloring matter. The bark abounds 

 in tannin ; that of several species is used in Brazil by the tanners ; that of 

 one species is employed in Cayenne as a febrifuge, and that of another as an 

 astringent and as an antidote to the bite of snakes. The acidulated and 

 somewhat astringent fruit of two or three species is eaten in the West Indies. 



