WALLICHIE^. 



(JSl 



(). WALLicHiBiE : calyx surrounded by an 

 involucre of from three to five leaflets; petals 

 flat; stamina very numerous, monadelphous, 

 unequal, and forming a column similar to that 

 of the rnalvacea?, eriolmna, walUcMa, gcethea. 



Many of the sterculias are noble trees, with 

 large edible seeds. Those of the famous kola, 

 are said, when chewed, to render bad water 

 sweet. The genus astropcea, are reckoned the 

 most beautiful plants in the world : all the spe- 

 cies are remarkable for the mucilage which they 

 contain. Cocoa is prepared from the seeds of 

 thedbroma cacao. 



Chlenacb^, Du-Petit-Thuuars. This little 

 family is composed of small shrubs, all natives 

 of the island of Madagascar. Their leaves are 

 alternate, furnished with stipules, entire and 

 caducous. The flowers form branched racemes. 

 They are furnished with persistent involucres, 

 which contain one or two flowers.. Their calyx 

 is small, formed of three sepals. The petals 

 vary from five to six: they are sessile, and some- 

 times united at their base. The stamina, which 

 are ten, or an indeterminate number, are united 

 by their filaments, and sometimes adhere to each 

 other by their anthers. The ovary has three cells, 

 surmounted by a simple style, and a trifid stigma. 

 The fruit is a capsule, with three cells, rarely 

 with only one, through abortion, containing each 

 one or more seeds, inserted at their inner angle, 

 and pendant. These seeds contain an axile 

 embryo, in a fleshy or horny endosperm. 



TiLiACE^, Jussieu. ( Tilliacete and eluocar- 

 %>e<E, Jussieu.) Almost all the tiliaceae are trees 

 or shrubs, a small number only being herba- 

 ceous plants. They bear alternate, simple leaves, 

 accompanied at their base by two caducous 

 stipules. Their flowers are axillar, peduncu- 

 late, solitary, or variously grouped. They have 

 a simple calyx, formed of four or five sepals, 

 placed close together in the form of valves, pre- 

 vious to the expansion of the flower; a corolla 

 having the same number of petals, which are 

 rarely wanting, and are often glandular at their 

 base. The stamina are numerous, free, with 

 bilocular anthers. A pedicellate gland is often 

 seen on the face of each petal. The ovary has 

 from two to ten cells, containing each several 

 ovules attached, in two rows, to the inner angle. 

 The style is simple, temrinated by a lobed stigma. 

 The fruit is a capsule, with several cells, con- 

 taining several seeds, and sometimes indehiscent, 

 or a monospermous drupe, through abortion. 

 The seeds contain a straight or slightly curved 

 embryo, in a fleshy endosperm. 



The family is thus divided into two sections : 



1. The true Tiliace^, comprehending the 

 genera tilia, sparmannia, Jieliocarpus, corchorus, 

 triumfetta, apeiba, &c. 



2. The EL^aoABPBJS, to which belong the 

 genera elasocarpus, vallea, decadia, &c. 



The tilliacese are allied to the malvacese, from 

 which they differ in having the stamina free, 

 and the embryo placed at the centre of a fleshy 

 endosperm; and to the byttneriacese, from which 

 they are distinguished by their stamina being free 

 and numerous, their style simple, &c. 



The tilliacese are mucilaginous, like the families 

 to which they are allied. The properties of the 

 eheocarpem are unknown. 



TEKKSTROEiiiACEiE; CAMELLiEiE. ( Temstrcemi- 

 acecB and tJieaceee, Mirbel.) Trees or shrubs, 

 with alternate leaves, destitute of stipules, often 

 coriaceous and persistent. Flowers sometimes 

 very large, axillar, and terminal, having a calyx 

 formed of five concave, unequal, and imbricated 

 sepals, and a corolla composed of five petals, 

 sometimes united at their base, and forming a 

 monopetalous corolla. The stamina are numer- 

 ous, often connected by the base of their fila- 

 ments, and united to the corolla. The ovary is 

 free, sessile, generally applied upon a hypogyn- 

 ous disk, divided into from two to five cells, each 

 containing two, or a greater number of pendant 

 ovules, inserted at the inner angle. The num- 

 ber of styles is the same as that of the cells; 

 each of them is terminated by a simple stigma. 

 The fruit has from two to five cells. It is some- 

 times coriaceous, indehiscent, a little fleshy inter- 

 nally; at other times dry, capsular, and opening 

 by as many valves. The seeds, which are often 

 only two in each cell, have their embryo naked, 

 or covered with a fleshy, often very thin endo- 

 sperm. 



This family now contains the genera ternstrce- 

 mia, thea, camellia, fraziera, &c. 



The camellias are highly ornamental trees. 

 The tea plant belongs to this family. 



Olacine^, Mirbel. This little family, which 

 has been formed of part of the aurantiaccce, is 

 composed of woody plants, bearing simple, alter- 

 nate, petiolate leaves, without stipules, and verj"- 

 small axillar flowers. The flowers are composed 

 of a very small, monosepalous, persistent, entire, 

 or toothed calyx, often attaining a large size, and 

 becoming fleshy. The corolla is formed of from 

 three to six petals, which are coriaceous, sessile, 

 valvar, free, or united at the base. These petals, 

 which sometimes bear the stamina, are often 

 united two and two, and only separated at their 

 summit. The stamina are generally ten in 

 number, several of them being sometimes abor- 

 tive, and existing under the form of sterile fila- 

 ments. They are immediately hypogynous, or 

 are borne upon the petals. The ovary is free 

 one-celled, generally containing three ovules 

 which are pendant at the summit of a central 

 erect trophosperm. The style is simple, ter- 

 minated by a very small, three-lobed stigma. 

 The fruit is drupaceous, indehiscent, often 

 covered by the calyx, which has become fleshy, 

 and one-seeded. The seed is composed of a 



