622 



HISTORY OF THE VEGETABLE KINGDOM. 



very thin, membranous dissepiments. Each of 

 tliese cells commonly contains four ovules 

 attached to the inner angle of the cell, and of 

 which two are erect, two reversed. The style 

 is simple, terminated by a very small simple 

 stigma. The fruit is slightly fleshy. It eon- 

 tains from one to four bony and more or less 

 irregTilar nucules. The seed is formed of a pro- 

 per integument, and a fleshy endosperm, which 

 contains a cylindrical embryo, having the same 

 direction as the seed. 



This family is composed of only a few genera, 

 halesia, si/mplocos, styrax, alstonia, and ciponhna. 

 It differs from the ebenaceje in having a perigy- 

 nous insertion, a qnadrilocular ovary ^yith four 

 ovules, two erect and two reversed, and a simple 

 style. 



The gum resins storax and benzoin are obtained 

 from styrax officinalis and benzoin. 



EniciNEiE. This family consists of shrubs 

 and small trees, of elegant forms, having in gene- 

 ral simple, alternate leaves, rarely opposite, ver- 

 ticillate or very small, and in the form of imbri- 

 cated scales. Their inflorescence is very varia- 

 ble. The monosepalous calyx is sometimes free, 

 sometimes adherent to the ovary, which is then 

 inferior, with five divisions, which are some- 

 times so deep, that it appears formed of distinct 

 sepals. The corolla is monopetalous, regular, 

 with four or five lobes, sometimes with four or 

 five distinct petals. The stamina, which are 

 generally double the number of the divisions of 

 the corolla, have their filaments fi-ee, rarely con- 

 nected at their base. The anthers are introrse, 

 one-celled or two-celled, sometimes terminated 

 by two horn-shaped appendages at their summit 

 or base, and generally opening by a hole near their 

 summit. These stamina are generally attached 

 to the corolla ; but sometimes they are immedi- 

 ately hypogynous. The ovary is inferior or 

 free ; in the latter case, it is sessile at the bottom 

 of the flower, or applied upon a hypogynous 

 disk, which is more or less prominent, and 

 sometimes has the form of lobes or scales. It 

 has from three to five cells, each containing a 

 considerable number of ovules attached at their 

 inner angle. The style is simple, terminated by 

 a stigma having as many lobes as the ovary has 

 cells. The fruit is a berry, or more commonly 

 a capsule, sometimes crowned by the limb of the 

 calyx, and opening by as many valves as there 

 are cells. Sometimes each of these valves car- 

 ries with it one of the dissepiments on the mid- 

 dle of its inner face and sometimes the dehis- 

 cence takes place opposite each dissepiment. 

 The seeds are composed of a fleshy endosperm, 

 in the middle of which is an axile, cylindrical 

 embryo, having the same direction as the seed. 



The rhodoracese of Jussieu differ from the 

 oricinea; only in their capsule, the valves of which 

 carry with them the disseijiments on the middle 



of their inner surface, whereas in the ericineas in 

 general the dehiscence takes place opposite ■ the 

 dissepiments. This family is divided into 



1. Vaooinij!;: ovary inferior. Vaccinium, 

 escallonia, qaylussaccia, &c. 



2. Ericikeje: ovary free, disk hypogynous, 

 anthers bilocular. Erica, rhododendron, rho- 

 dora, ledum, clethra, arbutus, andromeda, &c. 



3. EpACEiDEiE : ovary free, disk in the form of 

 five hypogynous scales, anthers unilocular. 

 Epacris, styphelia, leucopogon, &c. 



The berries of the vaccinise are generally 

 eatable. The bark and leaves are slightly astrin- 

 gent. The ericse are astringent and diuretic. 

 The rhododendra and asalem are acrid and poi- 

 sonous. All the species ai-e ornamental plants. 



Gessneriace^, Rich. These are herbaceous 

 plants, rarely shrubljy at their base, bearing 

 opposite or alternate leaves, and axillar or ter- 

 minal flowers. The calyx is monosepalous, per- 

 sistent, with five divisions, adhering by its base 

 to the ovary, which is generally inferior. The 

 corolla is monopetalous, irregular, with five 

 unequal lobes sometimes forming two lips. The 

 stamina are two or four, inserted upon the cor- 

 olla. The ovary is either inferior or free : in the 

 former case, it is crowned by an epigynous often 

 lobed disk ; in the latter case, the disk is hypo- 

 gynous and often lateral. The style is simple, 

 terminated by a simple stigma, concave in its 

 centre. The ovary has a single cell in ^^'hich 

 the immerous ovules are attached to two parietal 

 trophosperms, branched on the side of the cell. 

 The fruit is either fleshy or dry, and forms a 

 unilocular capsule opening by two valves. 



Campantoace^, Jussieu. The CampanulaceEs 

 are commonly herbaceous or shrubby plants, 

 generally abounding in a white and bitter juice. 

 Their leaves are alternate and entire, rarely 

 opposite. Their flowers form spikes, thyrsi, or 

 capitula. They have a monosepalous calyx, 

 with four, five, or eight persistent divisions, and 

 a regular or irregular monopetalous bell-shaped 

 corolla, having its limb divided into as many 

 lobes as there are divisions to the calyx, some- 

 times' as if two-lipped. The stamina, five in 

 number, are alternate with the lobes of the cor- 

 olla. Their anthers are free, or brought toge- 

 ther in the form of a tube. The ovary is infe- 

 rior or semi-inferior, with two or more pol}'- 

 spermous cells. The style is simple, terminated 

 by a lobed stigma, sometimes surrounded by 

 liairs or a kind of cupuliform cavity. The fruit 

 is a capsule crowned by the limb of the calyx, 

 with two or more cells, opening either by means 

 of holes which are formed near the upper part, 

 or by incomplete valves, which carry along with 

 them part of the dissepiments on the middle of 

 their inner surface. The seeds, which are very 

 small and very numerous, contain an axile and 

 erect embryo in a fleshy endosperm. 



