XXI. BIXINE^. 245 



Trees or shrubs. Leaves alternate, simple, tootlied, rarely entire, sometimes 

 palmilobed or compound {Goddospermum, Amoreuxia), sometimes pellucid-dotted; 

 stipules minute, caducous or 0. Flowers 5 or unisexual, regular, axillary or 

 terminal, solitary or more often fascicled, or corymbose, racemose or panicled. 

 Sepals 4-5, or 2-6, free or connate, sestivation imbricate, rarely sub-valvate {Aeara, 

 &e.), or united into 2 more or less regular valves {Pangium, &c.). Petals bypogy- 

 nous, as many as sepals, or oo, sestivation imbricate and twisted, deciduous, or 0. 

 STAMEiiTS bypogynous, or obscurely perigynous, indefinite, or rarely definite (Azara, 

 Erythrospermum, &c.) ; anthers opening by slits, or rarely by an apical pore {Bixa, 

 Cochlospermum, &c.). ToRUS often glandular, thick, or dilated {Xylosma), sometimes 

 adnate to tbe calyx base, rarely annular and adnate to tbe ovary [Peridiscus). Ovary 

 free, usually 1 -celled, with 2- oo parietal placentas, sometimes several-celled {Fla- 

 courtia, Amoreuxia, &c.) ; styles as many as placentas, united, or more or less free ; 

 ovules 2- 00 on each placenta, anatropous or half-anatropous. Fruit fleshy or dry, 

 indehiscent, or opening by seed-bearing valves. Seeds usually ovoid or pisiform, rarely 

 reniform, or cochlear and velvety {GocJilospermum), smooth, or pulpy on the outside 

 {Bixa, Dendrostylis) ; albumen fleshy, more or less copious. Embryo axile, straight 

 or curved ; radicle near the hiluni ; cotyledons large, usually cordate. 



Tribe I. BIXEjE. 



Flowers ^ , or rarely polygamous. Petals large, without a scale, twisted iii 

 bud. Anthers linear or oblong, opening by 2 terminal pores, or short valves. 

 Capsule dehiscent; endocarp membranous, separating from the valves. 



PEINCIPAL GENERA. 

 Cochlospermum. * Bixa,. 



Tribe II. ONCOBEJS. 



Flowers dioecious or polygamous. Sepals and petals imbricate, the latter most 

 numerous and without a scale. Anthers linear, opening by slits. 



PRINCIPAL GENERA. 

 Oncoba. Dendrostylis. 



Tribe III. FLAGOUBTIEJE. 



Flowers g or dioecious. Petals 0, or equal to the sepals, imbricate, without a 

 scale. Disk surrounding the stamens or the ovary. Anthers short, linear, opening 



by slits. 



PRINCIPAL GENERA. 



Lsetia. *Azal'a. Erythrospermum, Xylosma. 



Ludia. Scolopia. Flacourtia. Aberia. 



