CoEiABiA.] COBIABIE^, 191 



XLI.-CORIARIE^. 



UsTTALLT glnbrous shrubs, with 4-angled sarmentose branches, the 

 lower ones opposite; buds scaly. Leaves opposite, rarely 3-nately 

 whorled, sessile, entire, exstipulate. Racemes axillary. Flowers 

 sroall, green, hermaphrodite or polygamous Sepals 5, spreading, im- 

 bricate, persistent. Petals smaller than the sepals, tieshy, keeled 

 within, thickened after flowering and embracing the fruit. Stamens 

 10, hvpogynous, free, or the alternate ones adnate to the petals ; 

 •filaments short; anthers large, oblong, rough. I)ish 0. Carpels 

 5-10, free, ] -celled, whorled on a fleshy receptacle; styles slender, 

 svibulate, fleshy, papillose all over ; ovules 1 in each cell, pendulous 

 from the top. Fruit of 5 or 10 small oblong compressed dry nuts, 

 closely embraced by the fleshy petals, 1- celled, 1-seeded. Seed com- 

 pressed, testa membranous, albumen a thin layer. — Species about 8, 

 found in the Mediterranean region, in Temp. Asia, Japan, N. Zealand 

 and in C. and S. America. 



The true position of this small order has not yet been determined with 

 certainty. Sir Joseph Hooker in his PL Brit. Ind. considered it as 

 perhaps nearest to Phytolacacece which, he remarks, should in that work 

 have been placed in Thalamiflorce. Coriaria is placed by Baillon as a 

 gemis in Rutacece, and byiEngler and Prantl as a distinct order between 

 EwpetracecB a,nd Buxucece. By other authors it has been referred provi- 

 sionally to OlacineCB, Sapindacece and Anacardiacece. 



Coriaria, Niss. ex Linn. ; Fl. Brit. Ind. ii, 44. 



Characters of the order. 



C. nepalensis. Wall. PL As. Bar. Hi, 289 ; Boyle III. 165; Brand. For. 

 fl. 128; F. B. I. u, 44; Watt E. D. Vern. Masuri. 



A large shrub or small tree with rough reddish-brown bark. Branchlets 

 quadrangular, often tinged with red. Leaves 2-4 in. long ; opposite, 

 S-V-nerved, very shortly petioled, ovate -oblong or lanceolate, acute or 

 abruptly acuminate, cordate, entire or minutely serralate, glabrous or 

 hispidul ous on the veins beneath, tiacemes 2-6 in., solitary or in clusters'; 

 bracteoles oblong, concave, deciduous. Flowers about | in. in diam. 

 Fruit i-| in., black. 



On both sides of the Siwalik range. Distbib. : Temperate and sub- 

 tropical Himalaya from the Indus to Bhutan, up to 7,500 ft. Flowers 

 March to May. Very plentiful about Mussoorie, the name of which 

 place is believed to have originated from this fact. The ripe berries are 

 eaten, but are said to be liable to cause colic if the seeds are not rejected. 

 The leaves are used medicinally. The handsome mottled wood takes a 

 good polish, and might be used in the manufacture of various small 

 articles. 



