6]2 



HISTORY OF THE VEGETABLE KINGDOM. 



is cylindrical, rarely wanting, and is terminated 

 by a stigma, of which the lobes are equal to that 

 of the trophosperms. The seeds have an axile 

 cylindrical embryo, placed in the centre of a 

 fleshy endosperm. 



The genera which compose this small family, 

 are cytinus, rafflesia, and nepenthes. The first 

 two are parasitic, and destitute of leaves. The 

 other is remarkable for having its leaves termin- 

 ated by a kind of bottle, which shuts by means 

 of a movable lid; or, according to some views, 

 this lid is reckoned the true leaf. This 

 family is distinguished from the aristolochise by 

 having its seeds attached to parietal tropho- 

 sperms, by its unisexual flowers, and by the 

 quaternary or quinary number of the different 

 parts of the flower. 



The active properties of these plants are little 

 known; nor have they been appropriated to any 

 useful purpose. 



Santalace^e, Brown. These are herbaceous, 

 or frutescent plants, or trees with alternate, rarely 

 opposite leaves; destitute of stipules, and small 

 flowers, eitlier solitary, or disposed in a spike or 

 eertule. Their calyx is superior, with four or 

 fi ve valvar divisions. The stamina, four or five 

 in number, are opposite to the divisions of the 

 calyx, and inserted at their base. The ovary is 

 inferior, with a single cell, containing one, two, 

 or four ovules, which hang from the summit of 

 a filiform podosperm, springing from the bottom 

 of the cell. The style is simple, terminated by 

 a lobed stigma. The fruit is indehiscent, mon- 

 ospermous, sometimes slightly fleshy. The 

 seed presents an axile embryo in a fleshy endo- 

 sperm. 



This family was established by Bro^^^^, and is 

 composed of the genera thessium, guincTiamalium, 

 osyris, and fusanus, placed by Jussieu in the 

 family of eleagneee, and of the genus santalum, 

 which formed part of the onagrarise. They are 

 trees, or dwarf shrubs, chiefly natives of the Cape, 

 New Holland, and India, a few only being found 

 in Europe and America. Santalum album is 

 esteemed for its perfume. The others possess 

 few known virtues. 



EL^AGNt^, A. Rich. Trees or shrubs, with 

 alternate or opposite leaves, which are destitute 

 of stipules, and entire. Their flowers are dioe- 

 cious or hermaphrodite; the male ones sometimes 

 disposed in a kind of catkin. The calyx is 

 monosepalous, and tubular; its limb entire, or 

 with two or fimr divisions. The stamina, from 

 three to eight in number, are introsal, and nearly 

 sessile on the inner wall of the calyx. In the 

 female flowers, the tube of the calyx directly 

 covers the ovary, but without adhering to it. 

 The entrance of the tube is sometimes partly 

 closed by a variously lobed disk. The ovary is 

 free, unilocular, and contains a single ascending, 

 pedicellate ovary. The style is short the stigma 



simple, elongated, and liuguiform. The fruit \w 

 a crustaceous akenium, covered by the calyx, 

 which has become fleshy. The seed contains, in 

 a very thin endosperm, an embryo which has 

 the same direction. 



The genera are elosagnus, hippophos, shepherdia, 

 and conuleum. They are of little note. The 

 berries of hippoplioe rhamnoides, are used as an 

 acid sauce in Sweden. 



THYMEtE^, Jussieu. Shrubs, rarely herba- 

 ceous plants, with alternate, or opposite, entire 

 leaves, having the flowers terminal or axillar, in 

 sertules, spikes, solitary, or several together in 

 the axils of the leaves. The calyx is generally 

 coloured, and petaloid, more or less tubular, with 

 four or five divisions, which are imbricated before 

 expansion. The stamina, generally eight in 

 number, disposed in two series, or four, or only 

 two, are inserted sessile upon the inner wall of 

 the calyx. The ovary is unilocular, and con- 

 tains a single pendent ovule. The style is sim- 

 ple, terminated by an equally simple stigma. 

 The fruit is a kind of nut, slightly fleshy exter- 

 nally. The embryo, which is reversed like the 

 seed, is contained in a fleshy and thin endo- 

 sperm. 



The principal genera of this family are: daphne^ 

 stellera, passerina, pimelia, struthiola, &c. 



The bark is extremely acrid, or caustic, blis- 

 tering the skin. That of daphne mezereon is 

 employed in medicine. The lace tree, daphne 

 laghetto,\s remarkable for the reticulated appear- 

 ance? of the liber, which may be pulled out in 

 many successive layers, resembling a piece of 

 lace. 



PnoTEACEiE, Jussieu. The proteacea are all 

 shrubs or trees, which grow in abundance at the 

 Cape of Good Hope, and in New Holland. Their 

 leaves are alternate, sometimes nearly verticel- 

 late, or imbricate. Their flowers, which are 

 generally hermaphrodite, rarely unisexual, are 

 sometimes grouped in the axillae of the leaves, 

 sometimes collected into a kind of cone or cat- 

 kin. Their calyx consists of four linear sepals, 

 sometimes united, and foiTning a tubular calyx, 

 with four more or less deep and valvar divisions. 

 The stamina, four in number, are opposite to 

 the sepals, and almost sessile at the summit of 

 their inner surface. The ovary is free, with a 

 single cell, containing a seed attached about the 

 middle of its height. The stj'le is terminated 

 by a usually simple stigma. The fruits are 

 capsules of various forms, unilocular, and mon- 

 ospermous, opening on one side by a longitu- 

 dinal suture, and by their aggregation, sometimes 

 forming a kind of cone. The seed, which is 

 occasionally winged, consists of a straight embrj-o 

 destitute of endosperm. 



The genera of this family are numerous. We 

 shall here mention as examples : protea, pctvo- 

 phila, banksia, grevillca, cmhothrium, hakca, Ike 



