382 MANUAL OF BOTANY 



anthers commonly extrorse. Ova/ry 4 — 12-cellecl, with a solitary 

 anatropous SYule in each cell ; style 1. Fruit fleshy. Seeds 

 large, with a shining bony testa ; enibryo large, usually in albu- 

 men, and with a short radicle. 



Distribution and Numbers. — Natives chiefly of the tropical 

 parts of Asia, Africa, and America. Illustrative Genera : — 

 ChrysophyUum, Linn. ; Isonandra, Wight ; Bassia, Konig. 

 There are about 220 species. 



Properties and Uses. — Many species yield edible fruits ; 

 others are valuable timber trees. The seeds of several contain 

 a fatty oil. Some have bitter astringent febrifugal barks, and 

 the milky juices of others yield a substance resembling in its 

 general characters caoutchouc or india-rubber. 



Order 183. Ebenace^, the Ebony Order. — Character. — 

 Trees or shrubs without milky juice. Leaves alternate, entire, 

 coriaceous, exstipulate. I'lowers polygamous. Calyx 3 — 7- 

 partite, inferior, persistent. Corolla 8 — 7-partite. Stamens 

 equal in number to the lobes of the corolla, or twice or four 

 times as many, epipetalous or hypogynous ; anthers 2celled, 

 introrse, opening longitudinally. Ovary 3— 12-celled, each cell 

 with 1 or 2 ovules suspended from the apex ; style usually having 

 as many divisions as there are cells to the ovary. Frv/it fleshy. 

 Seeds large, albuminous ; radicle superior. 



Distribution and Numbers. — They are mostly natives of 

 tropical India, but a few occur in colder regions, Ilbistrativc 

 Genera : — Royena, Linn. ; Diospyros, Linn. There are nearly 

 200 species. 



Properties and Uses. — Many of the trees of this order are 

 remarkable for the hardness of their wood, which is commonly 

 known under the names of Ebony and Ironwood. Many species 

 have edible fruits, and some have astringent barks. 



Order 184. Styracb.e, the Storax Order. — Character. — 

 Trees or shrubs. Leaves simple, alternate, exstipulate. Flowers 

 axillary, hermaphrodite. Calyx inferior or partially superior, 

 4 — 5.partite or almost entire, persistent. Corolla of from 5 to 10 

 petals; either united at the base or distinct ; (Estivation imbricate 

 or somewhat valvate. Stamens equal in number to the petals, 

 or twice or thrice as many, more or less united at the base ; 

 anthers 2-ceIled, roundish or linear. Ovary superior or par- 

 tially inferior; style simple. Fruit drupaceous, always more 

 or less fleshy. Seeds usually 1 in each cell, sometimes more ; 

 embryo in the midst of abundant fleshy albumen, with a long 

 radicle. 



