456 MANUAL OF NATURAL HISTORY. 



achsenia, or baccate, or follicular; albumen 

 horny; seeds exarillate. Chiefly occur in 

 Europe, but found also in North America, 

 and sparingly in South America, Africa, In- 

 dia, and New Holland. Most of the plants 

 are more or less poisonous, as the species of 

 Ranunculus, Aconite, Stavesacre, Black- 

 Hellebore, fee. 



5. Family. — Dilleniads (Dilleniacese). Trees, shrubs, 



or under-shrubs, rarely herbs ; leaves alter- 

 nate, exstipulate ; flowers in terminal ra- 

 cemes, or in panicles, often yellow ; sepals 

 five, persistent ; petals five, imbricated ; sta- 

 mens distinct or polyadelphous ; filaments 

 dilated at the base or apex; ovaries definite, 

 more or less distinct ; ovules anatropal ; style 

 terminal ; stigma simple ; fruit of 2-5-capsular 

 or baccate unilocular carpels, which are dis- 

 tinct or coherent ; albumen fleshy ; seeds 

 arillate. Inhabit Australasia, India, Central 

 America, and also Equinoctial Africa, 



6. Family, — Custard-Apples (Anonacese). Trees ox- 



shrubs ; leaves alternate, exstipulate ; flowers 

 axillary, solitary, or two or three together, 

 green or brown ; sepals 3-4, persistent, often 

 partially coherent ; petals six ; aestivation 

 valvate ; stamens packed closely together ; 

 carpels usually numerous, separate or cohe- 

 rent ; ovules anatropal ; styles short ; stigmas 

 simple ; fruit succulent or dry, the carpels 1- 

 or many-seeded, distinct or united; seeds 



