Heptapleuedm.] ARALIACE^. 399 



LVIII.— ARALIACEJE. 



Trees or shrubs, very rarely herbs, sometimes scandent,or scandent 

 only when young, often prickly. Leaves alternate, the uppermost 

 rarely subopposite, long-petioled, large, simple or compound ; stipules 

 adnate to the petiole, .-ometinie- injonspicuous or 0. Floivers regular, 

 small, sometimes polygamous, in umbels racemes or panicled heads ; 

 hracts and bra^ttoles small or conspicuous ; pedicels continuous with 

 the base of the calyx or jointed. Calyx-tube adnate to the ovary ; 

 limb truncate, obsolete or with small teeth. Petals 5, rarely 6-7 or 

 many, valvate or subimbricate, expanding or decidnous in a cap. 

 Stamens as many as and alterneate with the petals, rarely indefinite, 

 inserted round an epigynous disk. Ooary inferior, 2-eelled, or cells 

 as many as the stamens, rarely 1 -celled ; styles as many as the cells, 

 distinct or unit d ; ooules solitary' and pendulous in each cell. Fruit 

 a d'!ipe or berry, usually small, one or more cells sometimes sup- 

 pressed. Seeds pendulous, albumen uniform or ruminated. — Species 

 about 400, chiefly tropical or subtropical, a few in cool temperate 



zones. 



« 



Albumen uniform, ovary o-6-celled, leaves 

 digitate .1. Heptapleubum. 



Albumen ruminated. 

 Ovary 2-celled 



Styles distinct, leaves pinnately 

 decumpound . . , . .2. Heteropanax. 



Styles combined, leaves digitate . 3. Beassaiopsis. 



Ovary 5-celled, styles combined ; leaves 

 simple, entire or lobed. . . .4. Hedeea. 



1. HEPTAPLEURUM, Gaertn. ; Fl. Brit. Ind. ii, 727. 



Large shrubs or irees, glabrous or tomentose, without prickles. 

 Leaves digitate, rarely compoun-i- digitate or 1-foliolate ; leaflets coria- 

 ceous, entire or remotely toothed or lobed, never closely serrate nor 

 cilia" e, those nearest the panicle usually entire ; .stipules often connate 

 within the petiole ai:d ]3rominent. Umbels (rarely capitate) panicled 

 or incomi^ound racemes ; bracts woolly, deciduous or persistent; pedi- 

 cels not jo'nted under the iiower , hracttoles few or 0, or rarely 

 densely tufted. Ca^y^^-margin toothed or truncate. Petals 5-6 or 

 many, valvate. Stamens as many as the petals. Oyar^-cells as many 



