MANUAL OF NATURAL HISTORY. 427 



Tropical Asia. The " Aloes" of Scripture is 

 believed to be a species of Aquilaria, 

 9. Family. — Sarcocols (Penseacese). Shrubs, ever- 

 green ; leaves opposite, exstipulate ; flowers 

 usually red, apetalous ; perianth salver- 

 shaped ; aestivation valvate or imbricate ; 

 stamens 4 or 8 ; ovary 4-celled ; style simple ; 

 stigmas four ; fruit capsular, 4-celled ; cotyle- 

 dons two, consolidated. Natives of the Cape 

 of Good Hope. 



VII. ORDER. — Saxifragals '(Saxifragales). 



Flowers monodichlamydeous ; corolla, if present, 

 polypetalous ; carpels consolidated ; placentae sutural 

 or axile ; seeds 00 ; embryo small, taper ; radicle 

 long ; albumen little or none. 



1. Family. — Loosestrifes (Lythracese). Herbs or 



shrubs ; leaves chiefly opposite, exstipulate, 

 sometimes dotted ; flowers solitary or cluster- 

 ed ; calyx monosepalous, tubular, permanent, 

 valvate; petals very deciduous, sometimes 

 wanting ; ovary 2-6-celled ; placentae axile 

 or dissepimental ; style filiform ; stigma usu- 

 ally capitate ; fruit capsular, dehiscent, mem- 

 branous, surrounded by the calyx ; seeds 

 numerous. Found in Europe, India, North 

 and South America. The Henne or Henna, 

 used by women in Egypt, &c, for staining the 

 fingers, is obtained from Lawsonia inermis. 



2. Family, — Brexiads (Brexiacese). Trees ; leaves 



