RHAMNEiE. 



647 



1. Anacardie^ or Cassutie^, containing tlie 

 genera anacmrdium, mangifera, pistacia, &c. 



2.«6nMACHiNE^, to which belong the genera 

 rlius, mauria, davana, &c. 



3. SpoNDiACEiE, whicli comprehend tlie genera 

 spondias and poupartia. 



4. BuESERACE/E, containing the genera scica, 

 hoswellia, hursera, canarium, &c. 



5. Amtride^, amyris. 



6. CoNNARACEiE, connarus omplmhhium, cneslis, 

 &c. 



7. JuGtANDE^, juglans, carya, &c. 



This family is very closely related to the 

 leguminosffi, from which it is distinguished, 

 more especially by the absence of stipules. It 

 is also allied to the Rhamnese, which differ from 

 it in having the ovary always inferior, and the 

 stamina opposite to the petals. 



The anacardieae and sumaehineas abound in a 

 resinous juice, which is often poisonous; but 

 the fruit of several species, as well as of the 

 spondiacese, is eatable. The burseraceae, con- 

 naracejB, and amyridece, are equaHy resiniferous. 

 The walnut is the fruit of a species of juglans. 

 Several fruits belonging to the same genus, are 

 eaten in America. 



Rhamne^, Brown. (Part of the rliamni of 

 Jussieu.) Trees or shrubs with simple, alter- 

 nate, very rarely opposite leaves, furnished with 

 two very small caducous, or persistent and spin- 

 ous stipules. The flowers are small, herma- 

 phrodite, or unisexual, axillar, solitary, or col- 

 lected into serttiles, fasciculi, &c., sometimes 

 forming racemes or terminal sertules. The calyx 

 is monosepalous, more or less tubular at its 

 lower part, where it adheres to the ovary, which 

 is inferior, having its limb dilated, with four or 

 five valvar lobes. The corolla is composed of 

 four or five very small, unguiculate petals, often 

 involute and concave. The stamina, which are 

 of the same number as the petals, are placed 

 opposite to them, and are often embraced by 

 them. The ovary is sometimes free, sometimes 

 semi-infei'ior, or completely adherent, with two, 

 three or four cells, containing each a single erect 

 ovule. From the summit of the ovary generally 

 proceed as many styles as it has cells. The base 

 of the tube of the calyx, when the ovary is 

 free, or the summit of the ovaiy when it is 

 inferior, presents a glandular disk varying in 

 thickness. The fruit is fleshy and indehiscent, 

 or dry and opening into three cocca. The seed 

 is erect, and contains in a fleshy, sometimes very 

 thin endosperm, a homotrope embryo, having 

 the cotyledons very broad and thin. 



The principal genera are : rhamnus, paliurus, 

 ceanothus, and colletia. The berries of several 

 species are strong purgatives. 



Celastrine^, Brown. (Part of the rliamni 

 of Jussieu) This family is composed of shrubs 

 or trees with alternate or sometimes opposite 



leaves, and axillar flowers disposed in cymes. 

 The calyx, which is slightly tubular at its base, 

 has a limb with four or five spreading divisions, 

 wliich are imbricated previous to expansion. 

 The corolla is composed of four or five flat, 

 slightly fleshy petals, destitute of claws, and 

 inserted beneath the disk. The stamina alter- 

 nate with the petals, and are inserted either upon 

 the edge of the disk, or upon its upper surface. 

 The disk is perigynal and parietal, surrounding 

 the ovary. The ovary is free, with three or four 

 cells, containing each one or more ovules, at- 

 tached by a filiform podospei-m to the inner 

 angle of each cell, and ascending. The iruit, 

 which is sometimes a dry drupe, is more com- 

 monly a capsule with three or four cells opening 

 into three or four valves, each bearing a dissepi- 

 ment upon the middle of its inner surface. The 

 seeds, which are sometimes covex-ed by a fleshy 

 arillus, contain a fleshy endosperm in which is 

 an axile and homotrope embryo. 



Many of the species are ornamental slu-ubs; 

 and the fruit and bark of others are purgative 

 and emetic. 



Aquifoliaceje, De Candolle. (IlidnecB, Ad. 

 Brong.) Composed of shrubs with alternate or 

 opposite, persistent, coriaceous, glabrous leaves, 

 which are toothed, the teeth being sometimes 

 spinous. The flowers are solitary, or variously 

 grouped in the axillse of the leaves. Each of 

 them has a calyx with from four to six small 

 and imbricated petals, and a corolla of an equal 

 number of alternate petals, united at their base, 

 and forming a monopetalous corolla, with deep 

 and hypogynous divisions. The stamina, which 

 are alternate with the lobes of the corolla, are 

 inserted at its base. There is no appearance of 

 a disk. The ovary is free, thick, truncate, with 

 from two to six cells, each containing a single 

 ovule suspended from the summit of the cell, 

 and supported by a cup-shaped podospeim. The 

 stigma is generally sessile and lobed. The fruit 

 is always fleshy, containing from two to six 

 indehiscent, woody or fibrous, and monospei-m- 

 ous nucules. The embryo is small, homotrope, 

 and placed towards the base of a fleshy endo- 

 sperm. 



Among the genera are ilex, cassine, myginda, 

 &c. 



Prinos verticillattis is astringent and tonic. 

 The leaves of a species of ilex afford the famous 

 Paraguay tea. 



EnrHORBiACE^, Jussieu. The euphorbiaceae 

 are herbaceous plants, shrubs, or very large trees, 

 which occur in all regions of the globe. Most 

 of them contain a milky acrid juice. The leaves 

 are usually alternate, sometimes opposite, accom- 

 panied with stipules, which are sometimes want- 

 ing. The flowers are unisexual, generally small, 

 and are very diversified in their mode of inflor- 

 escence. The calyx is monosepalous, with three,. 



