SANTALACEAE 159 



The colonists gather the fruits and remove the bitter principle by keeping 

 them submerged in running water for several weeks. The dried and roasted 

 seeds are used like coffee and often preferred to it. The natives call this 

 preparation " gu" [pronounced like the word "good" without the letter d, 

 provided one does not attempt to imitate the click]. 



Fam. 8. Santalaceae. 



(Plate 37, A— C; Fig. 80.) 



Shrubs or half shrubs with simple, sometimes minute 

 leaves. Flowers bisexual or by abortion dioecious {Thesi- 

 dium). Perianth simple, its tube joined to the inferior 

 ovary; segments 4 or 5, small or minute; stamens as 

 many, opposite, inserted at their base. Ovary inferior, 

 1 -celled; ovules 2 — 4, pendulous from the apex of a 

 central, chord-like placenta, without integuments. 

 Style simple, mostly minute. Fruit nut-like or dru- 

 paceous. Seed solitary, without testa, protected by the 

 hardened endocarp, with large endosperm and an axile, 

 inverted embryo. 



The development of the embryo-sac shows several 

 deviations from the general angiospermous type. 



About 250 species, belonging to 26 genera, in 

 various parts of the world. 



Several genera of this family, viz. Thesium and 

 Thesidium, are half -parasites, attaching themselves to the 

 finer rootlets of various shrubs or herbs by means of 

 haustoria. Thesium strictum grows on various Restion- 

 aceae and grasses. Thesidium fragile on Metalasia 

 muricata, Chymococca empetroides and others. Like the 

 mistletoe these plants use the host only for assisting them in 

 drawing supplies of water and mineral matter from the soil, 

 assimilating the raw sap in their green parts, viz. leaves 

 and stems or the latter only. It is probable that these 

 plants or their ancestors attacked the roots of other plants 

 originally for the sake of the water only, but gradually 

 took advantage of this opportunity and became parasitic. 



