SAPINDAOEM. 385 



calyx, is frequent among the Malpighiacece, are not observed in 

 this family, -where opposite and simple leaves are very rare excep- 

 tions, whilst they are the rule among the Malpighiacece. On the 

 whole, these, notwithstanding their close affinities with the regular 

 Sapindacece, are very easily distinguished from them in practice, by 

 not having the disk, or the ovules being descendent and not ascend- 

 ent, or the sepals glanduliferous, or by the character of the leaves ; 

 and if one of these characters is wanting, the others remain and suffice 

 for distinction. Many other families have a more or less distant 

 resemblance, with these : the Celastracece^ to which the Staphyllece 

 were formerly joined, have neither irregular flowers nor compound 

 leaves ; their stamens are generally equal in number to the petals, 

 shorter than them and exterior to the disk. The embryo is not bent 

 as that of the Sapindacece often is. The Meliacece and Rutmece may 

 have very nearly the organs of vegetation and the leaves of the 

 8apindacece^ but the latter are easily distinguished by the pellucid 

 punctuations of the leaves and the odour of the essential oil. More- 

 over, like the Meliacece with solitary or few ovules, they have the 

 micropyle turned upwards and outwards, and not outwards and 

 downwards, consequently the radicle of their embryo is superior, and 

 not inferior as that of the Sapindacece usually is. The Leguminosem 

 sometimes present a superficial resemblance with the Sapindacece^ by 

 several Ccesalpiniece having the concave receptacle, an excentric 

 gyneeceum, and ciliate or fimbriate petals, exactly like Erythrophysa 

 or certain species of Pancovia. It is known that one of the species 

 of the latter genus was assigned to the genus Afzelia. But this 

 confusion can only exist when we have only the male flowers before 

 us ; for the gynseceum with unilocular ovary of Leguminosece could 

 not be taken for that of a Sapindacece having an ovary with several 

 cells and axile placentas. 



The useful species ^ of this family have very different properties. 

 The best known are those to which the Soapworts owe their 

 name. A bitter principle exists in most of their organs, making 

 water frothy and giving it the qualities of soap. But there is besides 

 this, in these plants, something acrid which rapidly destroys linen. 



1 Endl. Bnohirid. 662,^Likdl. Fl. Med. 121; 591. — Rosenth. Syn. Fl. Biaphor. 776, 1151. 

 Veg.. Kingd. 383. — Guib. Drag. Simpl. ed, 6, iii, 



VOL. V. 3 T> 



