25 
Order XII. ARALIACE^. The Aralia Tribe. 
Aralia Gen. 217. (1789). — AraliaceiE, A. Richard in Dictionnaire Classique 
d' Histoire Naturelle, 1, 506. (1822); DC. Prodr. 4. 251. (1830); Bartling Ord, 
Nat. 237. (1830). 
Essential Character — Calyx superior, entire or toothed. Petals definite, 5 to 10, 
deciduous, valvate in aestivation, occasionally absent. Stamens equal in number to the 
petals or twice as many, arising from within the border of the calyx, and from without an 
epigynous disk. Ovary inferior, with more cells than 2 ; ovules solitary, pendulous ; styles 
equal in number to the cells, sometimes connate ; stigmas simple. Fruit succulent or dry, 
consisting of several 1 -seeded cells. Seeds solitary, pendulous, adhering to the pericarp; 
albumen fleshy, having a minute embryo at the base, with its radicle pointing to the hilum. — 
Trees, shrubs, or herbaceous plants, with, in all respects, the habit of Umbelliferae. 
Anomalies. Adoxa is apetalous, its petals being changed into an additional row of 
stamens. 
Affinities. Distinguished from Umbelliferae chiefly by their many- 
celled fruit and more shrubby habit ; to which De CandoUe adds their fleshy 
albumen with an embryo of nearly the same length. Very near Vitaceae, 
from which their inferior fruit, pendulous seeds and stamens alternate with the 
petals chiefly distinguish the plants of this order. Araliaceae are moreover 
connected with Caprifoliaceae through Hedera. 
Geography. China, India, North America, and the Tropics of the New 
World, are the chief abodes of the species of this small order. 
Properties. The Ginseng, which is the root of Panax quinquefohum, is 
much valued by the Chinese for its beneficial influence upon the nerves, and 
for other supposed properties. It is, however, discarded from European prac- 
tice. Ainslie, 1. 154. There appears to be no reasonable doubt that the 
Ginseng has really an invigorating and stimulant power when fresh. The 
virtues that are ascribed to it by the Chinese, although perhaps imaginary to 
a great extent, are nevertheless founded upon a knowledge of its good effects ; 
which, after the statements made by Father Jartoux, cannot reasonably be 
called in question. An aromatic gum resin is exuded by the bark of Aralia 
umbeUifera, and others. Aralia nudicaulis is used in North America as a sub- 
stitute for Sarsaparilla. The Ivy exudes a gum resin or pecuhar principle, 
called Hederine, and the leaves are irritating. fRoyle.J 
GENERA. 
Adoxa, L. Gilibertia, R.et P. 
Moschatellina, Tour. Gastonia, Comm. 
Panax, L. Polyscias, Forst. 
Cussonia, Thunb. Torricellia, DC. 
Maralia, Pet. Thou. Aralia, L. 
Sciodaphyllum, P. Br. Paratropia, Bl. 
Actinophyllum, R. Arthrophyllum, Blum, 
et P. Botryodendron, Endl. 
Hedera, Swartz. ^ 
Gynapteina, Blum. 
Alliance IV. GROSSALES. 
Essential Character. — Flowers never arranged in umbels. Calyx superior, epigynous 
disk, if present, not in several pieces. usually many seeded, with the seeds distinct 
from the pericarp. Stems solid. 
The three orders of which it is proposed to constitute this alliance are scat- 
tered through various parts of the system of De Candolle, and are associated 
with other orders, their supposed relationship to which it is difficult to compre- 
hend, as for example Grossulaceae near Cactaceae, Escalloniaceae by Saxifragaceae 
