346 LXV. STACKHOUSIB^. 



These two families are scarcely separated from Staphyleacece except bj' the diplostemonous corolla and 

 curved embryo ; and they are united in the ' Genera Plantarum ' as tribes of Sapindacees. It is the same 

 iu Hippoonstanece (see this family). 



The few species of this little family are scattered over temperate Europe, North America^ the Antilles, 

 Mexico, Japan, and tropical Asia. Their u.seful properties are little known. The root of a Japan shrub 

 (Euscaphis) is employed as an astringent in dysentery. [The seeds of Staphylea are oily, austere, and 

 slightly purgative. — Ed.] 



LXV. STACKHOUSIE^} 



[Small HEEBS with watery juice, usually woody, simple or branclied, rootstocks 



giving off many erect simple or sparingly divided slender leafy branches. Leaves 



scattered, alternate, rather fleshy or coriaceous, linear or spathulate, quite entire ; 



stipules or very minute. Flowers 5 , regular, in terminal spikes or racemes at the 



ends of the branches, or fascicled, 3-bracteate, white or yellow. Calyx small, 



hemispheric, 5-lobed or -partite, lobes rather unequal, imbricate in bud. Petals 5, 



perigynous, inserted on the throat of the calyx, linear or spathulate ; claws long, free 



or connate ; limb reflexed, imbricate in bud. Disk thin, clothing the base of the 



calyx-tube. Stamens 6, inserted on the edge of the disk, erect, included ; filaments 



slender, the alternate shorter; anthers oblong, dehiscing longitudinally; pollen 



obscurely 4-lobed, rough. Ovaet sessile, free, sub-globose, 2-5-lobed or -partite, 



2-5-celled ; styles 2-5, free or connate ; stigma 5-lobed or stigmas 5, capitate ; ovule 



solitary in each cell, erect from its base, anatropous, raphe ventral. Peuit of 2-5 



globose or angular smooth or reticulate or winged iudehiscent 1-seeded cocci, 



which separate from a central persistent column. Seed erect ; testa membranous ; 



albumen fleshy. Embeto axile, straight, as long as the albumen ; cotyledons short, 



obtuse ; radicle inferior. 



ONLY GENUS. 



Stackbousia. 



A small and geographically limited order, embracing some twenty species, common in extra-tropical 

 Australia, with a solitary representative in New Zealand, and another that wanders north to the Philippine 

 Islands. It appears to agree most nearly with Celastrinees in technical characters, but its affinities are 

 quite unknown. In the disk and fruit it approaches Bhamneee. Robert Brown indicated an affinity with 

 Euphorhiacece, but on what grounds is not stated, nor have these been apparent to succeeding botanists. 

 Nothing is known of its uses. — En.] 



LXVI. RHAMNEjE. 



(EHAMJsroEUM genera, Jussieu. — Rhamne^, Br. — Feangulace^, B.C. — Rhamnace^, 



Lindl.) 



CoROhLA polypetalous, perigynous, isostemonotis, cBstivation valvate. Petals 4-5, 

 inserted on a perigynous dish, lining the calyx, and sometim.es the ovary also. Stamens 

 4-5, opposite to and inserted with the petals. Ovaet free, or adnate to the dish, of 



' This order is omitted in the original. — £d. 



