Atrapkaxis.] LXI. POLYGONBjE. 373 



Atraphaxis s^miosa, Linn. (A. afghanica, Meissner, DC. Prodr. xiv. 76), is a 

 thorny shrub, with small thick ovate leaves, J-| in. long, perianth 4-cleft to the 

 base, the outer segments smaller, remaining unchanged, and reflexed when the 

 seed ripens, the two inner enlarged in fruit into 2 broad-ovate, reticulate 

 wings, J in. diam., closely adpressed to, but much larger than the flat nut, which 



^=is enclosed by them. Dry stony hUls in Afghanistan and Beluchistan, and 



throughout Western Asia. 



One of the few trees belonging to this Order is Goceoloba uvifera, Sea-side 



__ffrape, common on the sea-shore of the West Indies, introduced to Calcutta. 



Eeaves broad- cordate, fruit reddish-purple, pear-shaped, sweetish, acid, in 



drooping racemes, consisting of the fleshy perianth, which encloses a solitary 



seed. Wood light, used in cabinet-work. 



Obder LXII. LAUE,INE.ffi. 



Trees or shrubs, more or less aromatic, with alternate exstipulate, rarely 

 opposite, usually entire and evergreen leaves. Perianth regular, deeply 6- 

 sometimes 4-cleft, segments equal or the outer ones smaller, imbricate in 

 bud. Stamens normally 12, biseriate, those of the inner series opposite 

 to those of the outer, and to the segments of the perianth, usually how- 

 ever haK or more of the inner or outer stamens are wanting, or reduced 

 to short staminodia. Anthers adnate, cells 2 collateral or 2 pairs super- 

 posed, each ceU. openiag by a valve. Ovary free, 1-celled, rarely imper- 

 fectly 2-celled (adnate in Hernandia), ovules 1, rarely 2 or 3, pendulous ; 

 style simple ; stigma dUated. Fruit a, 1-seeded berry or drupe, often sup- 

 ported by the persistent perianth or base of perianth. Seed pendulous, 

 exalbuminous ; testa membranous ; cotyledons thick, oily, filling the seed 

 and enclosing the plumula and short superior radicle. — Eoyle 111. 324. 



Flowers usually bisexual ; anthers 4-oelled, those of the inner 

 stapiens extrorse. 

 Berry supported by the persistent cup-shaped, truncate or 



dentate base of perianth . . . ... .1. Cinnamomum. 



Berry supported by the entire 6-cleft perianth, which is in- 

 durated and somewhat enlarged 2. Phoebe. 



Berry supported by the entire 6-cleft, not indurated, spread- 

 ing or reflexed perianth . . . . ^ .3. Maohilus. 

 Flowers bisexual ; anthers 2-celled, those of the inner stamens 



lateral ; fruit large, base imperfectly 2-celled. . . 4. Bbilsohmiedia. 

 Flowers dioicous ; anthers 4-celled, all introrse._ 

 Flowers in pedunculate heads, enclosed in an involucre of 4-6 

 bracts ; flower-heads arranged in corymbs racemes or 



clusters _ . . 5. Tetkantheea. 



Flowers in sessile or subsessile clusters, enclosed (in bud) by 



deciduous imbricate bracts 6. Lits.S)a. 



Flowers dioicous ; anthers 2-celled, all introrse ... 7. Daphnidium. 



Several American trees of this Order yield excellent timber. The Greenheart of 



Demerara, Nectandra Eodicei, Schomb., is a splendid timber, hard heavy close- 



gjained and exceedingly durable. It is not attacked by Teredo navalis. The 



^^ark (Beheem bark) is used as a febrifuge in Guiana, and has been found to con- 



ta^j^ an alkaloid (Beheria), which has been identified with the alkaloid in the bark 



of Bwcus sempervirens, and iuPareira Brava (the root of Ghondodendron tomen- 

 tosum Euiz et Pavon, not of Cisscmpelos Pareira, as erroneously stated on p. 10. 

 It is believed that Beberia is with Quinine an ingredient of Warburg's drops. 



