260 
POLYPETALOUS ORDERS. 
shrubs. Leaves simple, alternate or opposite. Sepals 4 or 5^ 
imbricated. Petals 4:-5, with a broad base, imbricate in sesti 
vation. Stamens alternate with the petals ; anthers erect. Dish 
large, flat, surrounding and adhering to the ovary ^ which is 2-5- 
celled. Fruit a capsule or berry. Seeds sometimes arillate, 
albuminous ; emhryo straight. 
a. Properties : somewhat bitter and acrid, but of little importance in the arts. 
Genera. — Celastrua, Euonymus. 
441. RnAMNACEiE, the Buckthorn Tribe. — Trees or shrubs., 
often spiny. Leames mostly alternate, simple. Flowers small. 
Sepals 4 or 5, united at the base. Petals 4 or 5, inserted into 
the orifice of the calyx, sometimes wanting. Stamens inserted 
with, and opposite the petals. Ovary sometimes cohering with 
the tube of the calyx ; ovules solitary, erect. Fruit a capsule, 
berry, or drupe. Seeds erect ; embryo straight. 
a. Properties : the herbage and bark are astringent and bitter 
Geneea. — Zizyphus, Rhamnus, Ceanothus. 
442. YiTACE^, the Vine Tribe. — Climbing shrubs. Leaves 
opposite, the upper ones alternate. Flowers small, often 
polygamous or dioecious. Calyx 
small, nearly entire. Petals 4 or 
5, inserted upon the outside of the 
disk, sometimes cohering by their 
tipsj and caducous. Stamens 5, 
opposite the petals. Ovary 2-cell- 
ed; ovules 2 in each cell, erect. 
Fruit a berry. Seeds with a bony 
testa ; embryo small, in hard albu- 
men. 
a. Properties: leaves acid, fruit like the 
coinn.on grape. 
Genera, — Vitis, Ampelopsis. 
Fig. 184, a, Vitis vinifera; b, a flower; 
c, the same casting its petals ; d, the pistil 
and stamens ; e, section of a seed. 
443. PoLYGALACE^, the Milk- 
wort Tribe. — Herbs or sTirubs. 
Leaves simple, pedicels with 3 bracts. Flowers small, irregu- 
lar. Sepals 5, irregular. Petals 3, more or less united, the 
anterior larger than the others. Stamens 6-8, combined in a 
tube, which is split on the upper side. Ovary compound, 
2-celled ; ovule sol'.tary ; sin/le curved. Fruit usually opening 
through the valves. Seeds pendulous ; embryo straight, ^arge, 
in thin, fleshy albumen. 
a. Properties: the roots have a milky juice, the leaves are bitte'''. 
Genera. — Polygala, Kramena. 
