CELASTRACEAE 301 



Species about 5, all tropical, 2 in the Philippines of which the following 

 is introduced, 



•1. S. PURPUREA L. Sirihuelas (Tag.). (Corruption of Sp. Giruelaz= 

 "Plum.") 



A 'deciduous tree usually about 8 m high with stout trunks and stout 

 spreading branches. Leaves pinnate, 16 to 25 cm long. Leaflets 6 to 9 

 pairs, oblong-ovate, inequilateral, acuminate, thin, 6 to 7 cm long, entire 

 or slightly crenate. Flowers solitary or fascicled in the axils of fallen 

 leaves, reddish, 3 to 3.5 mm long, pedicels jointed. Stamens 10, 6 alter- 

 nating ones longer than the others. Fruit subglobose, about 2.5 cm long, 

 the pericarp fleshy, purplish outside, the stone large, very hard. (Fl. Filip. 

 pl.lS2.) 



Common along the Paranaque road, and occasional in other places, de- 

 ciduous and fl. Feb.-Apr.; widely distributed in the Philippines. A native 

 of tropical America, introduced into the Philippines at an early date. 



77. CELASTRACEAE (Celastbus Family) 



Trees or shrubs, often climbing. Leaves opposite or alternate, simple, 

 petioled. Flowers perfect or polygamous, small, cymose or panicled. Calyx 

 small, 4- or 5-lobed, imbricate, persistent. Petals 4 or 6, free, imbricate. 

 Stamens usually the same number as the petals. Disk prominent, lobed 

 or entire. Ovary sessile, free or confluent with the disk, 8- to B-celled,- 

 cells 2-ovuled; style short or none. Fruit a dehiscent capsule with arillate 

 seeds, or hard and iitdehiscent with many scattered seeds. 



Genera about 38, species 450 or more, in most temperate and tropical 

 regions, 8 genera and about 12 species in the Philippines. 



1. Inflorescence of terminal and axillary panicles 1. Celaatrua 



1. Inflorescence of' short, dichotomous, axillary cymes. 



2. Fruit a dehiscent, few-seeded capsule. 2. Gymnoaporia 



2. Fruit many-seeded, indehiscent „... 8. Siphonodon 



1. CELASTRUS Linnaeus 



Scandent shrubs with alternate, petioled leaves and terminal and axillary 

 panicles. Flowers small. Calyx 5-cleft. Petals 6, spreading. Stamens 

 6, on the margin of the broad disk. Ovary 2- to 4-celled, cells 2-ovuled, not 

 immersed in the' disk; style short, the stigma 3-lobed. Fruit a globose~or 

 obovoid, 1- to 3-celled, 1- to 6-seeded, dehiscent capsule, the seeds enveloped 

 in a fleshy aril. (An ancient Greek name.) 



Species about 16, tropical Asia to Japan, Malaya and Australia, and in 

 NiGirth America, 1 in the Philippines. 



1. C. panlculata Willd. 



A scandent' shruh reaching a length of from 4 to 10 m, glabrous, the 

 branches lenticellate, pendulous. Leaves ovate to dliptic-ovate, 5 to 12 cm 

 long, shortly and abruptly acuminate, crenate, thin. Panicles 7 to 18 cm 

 long, rather narrow, lax, pendulous. Flowers numerous, greenish or green- 

 ish-white,. about 5 mm in diameter. Capsules ovoid or subgtobose, 7 to 9 

 mm long, yellow, 3-celled, usually 3i-seeded, the fleshy aril surrounding the 

 seeds red. 



In thickets near Pasig, fl. Apr.-March; widely distributed in the Phil- 

 ippines. India to Malaya. 



