EEYTHROXYLACE^ — MALPIGHIACEiE. 457 



most of the plants of the order, there are some parts in which the 

 resin is either absent or elaborated in small quantity. Thus some of 

 them produce fruits which are used as articles of diet. Gareinia 

 Mangostana supplies the East Indian Mangosteen, which is said to be 

 one of the finest known fruits ; it resembles a middle-sized Orange, 

 and is filled with a sweet attd highly-flavoured pulp. Mammea 

 americana gives a drupaceous fruit, called Mammee Apple, or Wild 

 Apricot of South America. Its seeds are anthelmintic ; its flowers 

 yield by distillation a stomachic spirit called Eau de Crdole ; and a 

 wine is obtained by fermenting its sap. Mesua ferrea yields a hard 

 and durable timber. The Glusias are handsome trees, remarkable for 

 the mode in which they send out adventitious roots. The fruit of 

 Glusia flava, sometimes called WUd Mango, or Balsam-tree, yields a 

 yellow juice like gamboge. 



Order 37. — EEYTHHOXYLACEiE, the Erythroxylon Family. (Poly- 

 pet. Rypog.) Sepals 5, united at the base, persistent; sestivation 

 imbricated. Petals 5, hypogynous, broad and with a small scale at 

 the base, slightly contorted in aestivation. Stamens 10, monadel- 

 phous ; anthers erect, bUocular, with longitudinal dehiscence. Ovary 

 3-celled, two cells sometimes abortive ; styles 3, distinct or united ; 

 stigmas 3 ; ovule single, pendulous. Fruit a 1-seeded drupe. Seed 

 angular, anatrqpal ; embryo in the axis of firm albumen, rarely 

 exalbuminous ; cotyledons linear, flat, and leafy. — Shrubs or trees 

 with alternate stipulate leaves. Flowers arising from numerous, im- 

 bricated, scale-like bracts. Found chiefly in the West Indies and 

 South America. The plants of the order have tonic, purgative, and 

 narcotic qualities. The leaves of Erythroxylon Goca are used by the 

 miners of Peru as a stimulant, like opium. They receive the name of 

 Coca or Ipadu. They are chewed with a small mixture of finely- 

 powdered chalk. The wood of some is of a bright red colour, and 

 yields a dye. There are 3 known genera, and about 60 species. 

 Example — -Erythroxylon. 



Order 38. — MalpighiacEjE, the Malpighia Family. (Polypet. 

 Hypog.) Sepals 5,f slightly united, persistent, often glandular at the 

 base ; aestivation imbricated. Petals 5, unguiculate, with convolute 

 aestivation. Stamens usually 10,. often monadelphous ; anthers 

 roundish, with a projecting process from the connective (fig. 371, p. 

 223 ; 374, p. 235). Ovary formed by 3 (rarely 2 or 4) carpels, 

 more or less combined ; ovules solitary, with a long pendulous cord ; 

 styles 3, distinct or united. Fruit dry or fleshy, sometimes winged 

 (fig. 562, p. 310). Seeds solitary, orthotropal, suspended, exalbumi- 

 nous ; embiyo straight or curved in various ways ; cotyledons foliace- 

 ous or thickish (fig. 602, p. 338). — Trees or shrubs, sometimes 

 climbing, with simple, opposite, or very rarely alternate, stipulate 

 leaves, without dots. Hairs, when present, peltate (fig. 89, p. 33). 



