EXOGENOUS OK DICOTYI.KDONOUS PLANTS. 



409 



son capsules and bright scarlet arils of several species present a 

 striking appearance when the fruit is ripe. 



797. Ord, MalpighiaceBe is a large tropical family (with one or two 

 representatives in Texas), of trees, shrubs, and twining plants, with 

 opposite entire leaves, unguiculate petals, and solitary seeds with a 

 curved embryo ; differing from the next in the want of a disk, the 

 more symmetrical flowers, &c. 



798. Ord. Saplndacese {Soapberry Family). Trees, shrubs, or climb- 

 ers with tendrils, rarely herbs, with simple or compound leaves, and 

 mostly unsymmetrical or irregular flowers ; the sepals and petals 

 imbricated in estivation. Stamens 5 to 10, inserted on a fleshy 

 perigynous or hypogynous disk. Ovary 2-3-celled, 2-8-lobed, with 

 one or two (in Staphylea several) ovules in each cell ; the embryo 

 (except in Staphylea) curved or convolute and without albumen. — 

 Includes a variety of forms, the greater part of which may be ranged 

 under the following suborders, which have been taken for orders. 



799. Sutord. StaphyleaceBB {Bladdemut Family) has opposite com- 

 pound leaves with stipules and stipels, regular and perfect pentan- 



FIO. 773. riowering branch of ^sculus Pavia (Red Buckeye). 77i. A flower. 775. Flower 

 with the calyx and two of the petals removed. 776. A ground-plan of the flower, showing 

 that its parts are unsymmetrical. 777. Vertical section of an ovary, showing two of the cells 

 with a pair of ovules in each, one ascending, one descending. 778. Cross-section of an ovary. 

 779. Cross-section of the immature fruit ; only one fertile seed ; the others abortive. 780. 

 The dehiscent fruit. 



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