468 



ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE NATURAL ORDERS. 



the calyx, which, although free from the ovary, becomes succulent, 

 like a berry in fruit, and constricted at the throat, enclosing the 

 crustaceous achenium. — Ex. Eleagnus, Shepherdia. Plants of no 

 economical importance, except that a few are cultivated for their 

 silvery foliage. The fruit is sometimes eaten, as is that of the Buf- 

 falo-berry (Shepherdia argentea) and Silver-berry (Eleagnus ar- 

 gentea) by the Northern aborigines. 



901. Ord. Proteaceffi {Protea Family). A rather large family of 

 shrubs and trees of Southern temperate and subtropical regions, 



" chiefly of the Cape of Good Hope and Australia (a few in South 

 America, &c.), with rigid coriaceous leaves, perfect flowers, either 

 regular or irregular, mostly in heads or spikes ; the lobes of the 

 calyx valvate in aestivation ; a stamen borne on each of its four 

 lobes ; the pistil simple and free, forming a mostly dehiscent fruit ; 

 seeds with a large and straight embryo, and no albumen. Many 

 of these plants are prized in conservatories for their beauty or sin- 

 gularity : the seeds of a few species ai-e eaten. 



902. Ord. SantalaceSB {Sandal-wood Family). Trees, shrubs, or 

 sometimes herbs (their roots inclined to form parasitic attach- 

 ments) ; with alternate entire leaves, and small (very rarely dioe- 



cious) flowers. Calyx-tube adherent to the ovary ; the limb four- 

 or five-cleft, valvate in aestivation ; its base lined with a fleshy disk, 

 the edo^e of which is often lobed. Stamens as many as the lobes of 



FIG. 1122. Branch of Comandra umbellata. 1123. Enlarged flower, laid open. 1124. Ver* 

 tical section of a iiower. 1125 One of the segments of the calyx, enlarged, showing the tuft 

 of hairs -which connects its surface with the anther I 1126. The fruit, reduced in size. 



