CELASTRACBiE. 471 



petals united, limb narrow and stellate. Stamens 5, unequal, attached 

 to tlie tube of the calyx. Ovary superior, 3-5-celled, cells partially 

 distinct ; ovules solitary, erect ; styles 3-5, sometimes united at the 

 base; stigmas simple. Fruit consisting of 3-5 indehiscent pieces, 

 which are sometimes winged, and are attached to a central persistent 

 column. Seeds anatropal ; embryo long, erect, in the axis of fleshy 

 albumen. — Shrubs with simple, entire, alternate, stipulate leaves, 

 found chiefly in Australia, and not possessing any marked properties. 

 Genus, 1 ; species, 20. Example — Stackhousia. 



Order 58. — Cblasteacb^, the Spindle-tree Family. (Polypet. 

 Perigyn.) Sepals 4-5 imbricated ia sestivation. Petals 4-5 on a 

 fleshy disk surrounding the ovary, aestivation imbricated.. Stamens 

 alternate with the petals ; anthers erect. Disk large, flat, and ex- 

 panded, surrounding the ovary to which it adheres. Ovary superior, 

 2-5-celled ; ovules ascending, one or numerous, attached to the axis by 

 a short funiculus. Fruit either a 2-5-celled capsule, with loculioidal 

 dehiscence, or drupaceous. Seeds' one or many in each cell, anatropal, 

 usually ascending, and sometimes arUlate (figs. 577, 578, p. 328) ; 

 albumen fleshy; embryo straight, with flat cotyledons and a short 

 radicle. — Small trees or shrubs, with simple, alternate, rarely opposite 

 leaves, and small deciduous stipules. They inhabit the warm parts of 

 Europe, North America, and Asia, and many are found at the Cape of 

 Good Hope. Hippocrateae are arborescent or climbing shrubs, found 

 chiefly in South America. The order contains 39 known genera and 

 400 species. It has been divided into two tribes : — 1. Celastrese, with 

 4-5 stamens inserted on the margin of the disk, filaments subulate, 

 seeds albuminous. 2. Hippocratese with, usually, 3 stamens inserted 

 on the face of the disk, filaments flattened, seeds exalbuminous. 

 Examples — Celastrus, Euonymus, Oatha, Elaeodendron, Hippocratea. 



The plants of the order have subacrid properties, and the seeds of 

 some yield a useful oil. Those of Celastrus nutans or paniculatus are 

 said in India to be of a stimulant nature, and to be used as a remedy 

 in the disease called Beriberi. Some of the species of Celastrus, as C. 

 venenatus, are reckoned poisonous. The seeds of Euonymus, Spindle- 

 tree, are surrounded by an aril, or rather arillode, which is considered 

 as a prolongation from the exostome (figs. 577, 578, p. 328). In some 

 of the species the capsules are crimson, and with the bright scarlet 

 arillodes, they present a very showy appearance when the fruit is ripe. 

 The bark of Euonymus tingms furnishes a yellow dye, which is used for 

 marking the tiha on the forehead of the Hindoos. It is also considered 

 useful in diseases of the eye. The young shoots of Euonymus euro- 

 pceus, when charred, are used to form a particular kind of drawing- 

 pencil ; its fruit and inner bark are said to be purgative and emetic. 

 The young shoots of Gatha edulis furnish the Arabian drug called K^t, 

 which is used as a stimulant. The fruit of Salacia pyriformis, a native 



