Cardiopteris.] XXXlV. OLACINEiE. 261 



filaments short, glabrous ; anthers 2-celled, introrse, dehiscing longitudinally ; 

 pollen-grains 4-angular. Ovary free, surrounded at the base by a thick fleshy 

 annular disk, oblong, compressed, 1 -celled; ovule 1 (rarely 2), pendulous, naked, 

 micropyle ultimately superior. Style 2-branched, one branch deciduous, curved, 

 capitate at the apex ; the other accrescent, ultimately deciduous, divided at the 

 apex into 2 unequal, ovate, rather obtuse divisions. Fruit ovate-orbicular, emar- 

 ginate or obcordate, compressed, very broadly winged, 1 -celled, indehiscent. 

 Seed solitary, linear, furrowed ; embryo minute, in hard fleshy albumen. — A 

 climbing herb with milky juice. Leaves alternate, long-petioled, simple or lobed, 

 cordate, palminerved. Flowers ebracteate, in axillary racemose or paniculate 

 cymes, bisexual, dichlamydeous. — Masters in Hook. Fl. Brit. Ind. 



This genus is placed in Hooker's Mora of British India in Olacinece, but as a genus of 

 doubtful affinity. 



1. C. lobata (lobed), R. Br. Stem terete, striate. Leaves 3 to Sin. by 3 to 

 4t^in., glabrous, membranous, polymorphous, usually more or less angular and 

 slightly lobed ; base 7 to 9-nerved, cordate ; lobes acute or acuminate, widely 

 divergent ; petiole 3 to 5in. Peduncles 2J to 4in., solitary, axillary, dichoto- 

 mous ; pedicels puberulous, erect, ultimately spreading or recurved. Flowers 

 rather crowded, secund, ebracteate. Calyx puberulous. Corolla slightly exceed- 

 ing the calyx, whitish, deciduous. Fruit 1 to Ifin. by l|^in. The plant varies 

 much in the consistence and form of the leaves, occasionally even on the same 

 specimen ; hence, by some writers, several species have been proposed. — Hook. I.e. 



Hab.: Barron Eiver, E. Cowley, 1892. 



The Australian form is that known as var. moluccana (C. inohwcana, Blume, Eumph. iii. 207 

 f. 2). The plant has some resemblance to a yam, Dioscorea; and by some has been mistaken 

 for a species of that genus. 



Order XXXV. ILICINE^. 



Flowers regular, hermaphrodite or unisexual. Calyx of 4 or 5, rarely 3 or 

 more than 5 sepals, imbricate, usually persistent. Petals i or 5 or rarely more, 

 hypogynous, imbricate in the bud, sometimes united in a lobed corolla. Stamens 

 of the same number as petals, hypogynous, free or adhering to the corolla at the 

 base ; anthers 2-celled, opening inwards. Disk none, except the thickened base 

 of the ovary. Ovary free, 3 to 5-celled, rarely many-celled ; stigma broad or 

 capitate, sessile or supported on a distinct style. Ovules 1 or 2 in each cell, pen- 

 dulous, with a superior micropyle. Fruit a drupe, with as many one-seeded 

 pyrenes as cells. Seeds pendulous ; testa membranous ; embryo very small in the 

 apex of a fleshy albumen. — Trees or shrubs. Leaves alternate, simple, without 

 stipules. Flowers small, in axillary umbels or cymes, rarely solitary or terminal. 

 Fruits small. 



The Order, limited to the large genus Ilex, and two small ones separated from it, is dispersed 

 over the greater part of the world, but most abundant in America, very rare, however, in Africa, 

 absent from New Zealand, and represented by one species only in Australia. — Benth. 



1. ILEX, Linn. 



(Latin name of Holly Oak.) 



Calyx 4 or 5-lobed or parted. Corolla rotate. Petals free or connate at the 

 base. Stamens 4 or 6, adhering to the base of the corolla in the male ; some- 

 times hypogynous in the female. Ovary 2 to 12-celled. Style none or very 

 short. Stigmas free or confluent on the top of the ovary. Drupe globose, very 

 rarely ovoid, with 2 to 16 stones. 

 The genus contains about 150 species. 



