442 



ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE NATURAL ORDERS. 



858. Oi'd. Aqnifoliaceae {Holly Family). Trees or shrubs, com- 

 monly with coriaceous leaves, aud small axillary polygamous flowers. 

 Calyx of four to six sepals. Corolla four- to six-parted or cleft : 

 the stamens as many as its segments and alternate with them, in- 

 serted on the base of the corolla. Anthers opening longitudinally. 

 Ovary two- to six-celled ; the cells with a single suspended ovule. 

 Fruit drupaceous, with two to six nutlets. Embryo minute, in hard 

 albumen. — Ex. Ilex, the Holly, &c. The bark and leaves contain 

 a tonic, bitter, extractive matter. The leaves of a species of Ilex 

 are used for tea in Paraguay : and the famous black drink of the 

 Creek Indians is prepared from the leaves of Ilex vomitoria (Cas- 

 sena) ; which are still used as a substitute for tea in some parts of 

 the Southern States. 



859. Ol'd. Ebenacca! {Ebony Family). Trees or shrubs, destitute 

 of milky juice, with alternate, mostly entire leaves, and polygamous 

 flowers. Calyx three- to six-cleft, free from the ovary. Corolla 

 three- to six-cleft, often pubescent. Stamens twice to four times as 

 many as the lobes of the corolla, inserted on them. Ovary three- to 

 several-celled ; the style Avith as many divisions. Fruit a kind of 



, berry, with large and bony seeds. Embryo shorter than the hard 



albumen. — Ex. Diospyros, the Persimmon. The fruit, which is 

 extremely austere and astringent when green, becomes sweet and 

 eatable when fully ripe. The bark is powerfully astringent. Eb- 

 ony is the wood of Diospyros Ebenus and other African and Asiatic 

 species. 



860. Ord. StyracaceiB {Storax Family). Shrubs or trees, with per- 



FIG. 933. Perfect flower of Diospj-ros Yirginiana, the Persimmon. 934. The corolla, laid 

 open, and stamens. 935. The fruit. 936 Section through the fruit and bony seeds. 937. 

 Vertical section of a seed. 938. The detached embryo. 



