Sabiacea.] flora indica. 207 



lares, extrorsae vel introrsse, longitudinaliter dehiscentes, valvis a con- 

 nective solutis, quapropter antherse post dehiscentiam uniloculares fiunt. 

 Disms hypogyaus columnee brevi insidens, 5-lobus, lobis carnosis cum 

 petalis sepalisque alternantibus. Ovaria 3, rarissime 3, in axi subco- 

 haerentia, biovulata ; ovula suturae ventrali inserta, superposita, inferius 

 descendens, carapylotropum, superius fere horizontale, suborthotropum. 

 Styli 2, erecti, terminales, cylindrici, secus faciem ventralem subco- 

 haerentes, sed facile separabiles. Stigmata simplicia, obtusiuscula. 

 Carpella 3 vel abortu solitaria, drupacea, dorso gibbosa, intus stylo 

 subpersistente fere basilar! rostrata. Endocarpium lignosum, irregu- 

 lariter rugosum. Semen solitarium, reniforme, prope basin insertum, 

 campylotropum. Testa coriacea, punctis coloratis notata. Endopleura 

 crassiuscula, alba^ Embryo exalbuminosus, radicula infera liorizontali 

 cylindrica, cotyledonibus ovalibus incurvis planiusculis carnosis. — 

 Frutices seandentes foliosi, ramulis basi squamis gemma persistentibus 

 stipatis, foliis alternis integerrimis exstipulatis, cum petiolo hand articu- 

 latis, flovibus axillaribus, solitariis cymosis vel paniculatis, mediocribus 

 vel parvis, viridibus Jlavis vel purpureis, plerumque cum foliis nascentibus 

 evolutis. 



The genus SaUa was first described by Colebrooke* in tie year 1820, with a 

 somewhat erroneous generic character, and a plate which accurately represents the 

 habit and general appearance of the plant, but is accompanied by a very imperfect 

 figure of the flower. In 1824, Wallichf published excellent descriptions of two ad- 

 ditional species, giving at the same time a corrected generic character, and referring 

 the genus to Terebinihacets. In 1825, Blume,:|: unaware of what had previously 

 been done, added another species under the generic name Meniscosta, which he 

 placed at the end of Menispermacece. Endlicher and Meisner, adopting "Wallich's 

 suggestion, placed Sahia at the end of Anacardiacene. In 1842, FalconerJ published 

 an excellent account of the genus, under the name of Enantia-, which he indicated as 

 the type of a distinct Order, pointing out the resemblance of the fruit to Menisper- 

 macece, but not pronouncing definitely on its affinities. In 1851, Blame, || who had 

 discovered the identity of his genus Meniscosta with Sabia, constituted the Natural 

 Order Sabiace<B, the place of which he fixed in the immediate vicinity of Menisper- 

 maceee; and in 1853 Miers^f adopted that Natural Order, taking the same view of 

 its afiBnities. He has, however, fallen into an error in describing the ovules as soli- 

 tary, and has overlooked the remarkable character of the opposition of the petals and 



The structure of the genus Sabia is so remarkable, that its claims to form a dis- 

 tinct Order are unquestionable ; but, as in the case of many Orders of limited extent, 

 the characters point in so many different directions that it is not easy to determine 

 the position which it ought to occupy in our systems. If the ovary of Sabiacete be 

 considered syncarpous, the presence of a well-marked hypogynous disc, and many 

 other characters, would seem to indicate the Ehamnal alliance as that to which they 

 are most nearly allied. Among its Orders, Chailletiacece, which have a two-celled 

 ovary, containing two collaterid pendulous ovules in each cell, a simple style, and 

 exalbuminous seeds, appear to exhibit the greatest amount of resemblance to Sabiacea. 

 There are, however, many obvious differences, such as the structure of the petals, the 

 drupaceous fruit, and the curved embryo with inferior radicle, and this affinity is 

 probably a distant one. 



* Linn. Tr. xii. 355. § In Hook. Journ. Bot. iv. 75. 



t Roxb. Fl. Ind. ed. WaU. ii. 308. || Mus. Lugd. Bat. i. 368. t. 44. 



X Bijdr. p. 28. t Lindley's Veg. Kiugd. Srd ed. p. 467. 



