CONTRIBUTIONS TO BOTANY. 
51 
which are generally coriaceous, entire, or slightly toothed; symme- 
trical flowers mostly hermaphrodite, often polygamous; calyx 
small, campanulate, toothed, free, or sometimes conjoined with the 
ovarium by the intervention of a fleshy disk ; stamens generally 
equal in number to the petals, and then always alternate with 
them, usually five, rarely fewer, and often arising from a conspi- 
cuous disk ; ovarium 5-loculai’, often by abortion only 3-, 2- or 
1 -celled ; o\Tiles anatropal, often resupinated, generally two in 
each cell, attached by a cupshaped podosperm to the axis or dis- 
sepiment, and either erect, horizontal, or suspended ; seeds often 
solitaiy in each cell, frequently with a conspicuous arillus ; em- 
br 3"0 orthotropal, albuminous, or rarely exalbuminous, udth the 
radicle pointed towards the hilum. 
The families that at present appear to constitute this gi’oup may 
be distinguished from each other by the following leading 
characters : — 
Estivation 
of Corolla. 
Stamens in 
number to 
petals. 
Disk. 
Ovules. 
Seeds. 
Embryo. 
Family. 
imbricate. 
equal. 
present. 
erect or 
ascending. 
albuminous. 
with large foliaceous 
cotyledons. 
Cclastraceae. 
” 
■> 
suspended. 
” 
short Tsith small 
cotyledons. 
Aquifoliacese. 
” 
fewer. 
” 
horizontal. 
exalbuminous. 
fleshy with thick or 
foliaceous cotyle- 
dons. 
Hippocrataceae. 
imknown. 
equal. 
„ 
suspended. 
„ 
fleshy. 
Chailletiacese. 
valvate. 
equal. 
rarely ob- 
solete. 
” 
albuminous. 
either small or large 
foliaceous cotyle- 
dons. 
Icacinacese. 
imbricate. 
-- 
none ? 
■> 
small cotyledons. 
Cyrillaceae. 
The Icacinacece may be thus defined. Trees or shrubs with 
alternate entire petiolate leaves, generally more or less coriaceous, 
smooth, exstipulate. Flowers hermaphrodite, or polygamous by 
abortion, generally very small, and very simple and symmetrical 
in theii’ structure : inflorescence axillary or terminal, fasciculate 
or in many-flowered cymes or branching panicles, each flower 
distinctly articulated upon a short bracteated pedicel; bract 
minute, either very caducous, or abortive. Calyx usually small, 
cupshaped, 5-, rarely 4-toothed, persistent. Corolla hypogynous, 
consisting of 5, rarely 4 petals, alternate with the teeth of the 
calyx, always distinct, though often connivent at base into a 
tubular form by the slight adhesion of the filaments, more or 
less linear, of fleshy textm’e, valvate in aestivation, with the 
apical points inflected, reflexed and deciduous. Stamens equal 
in number to the petals, always alternate with them, and 
H 2 
