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imperfectly, often somewhat pulpy inside, and coloured. Seeds fixed to the valves, without 
order, on the papillose or pulpy part, with a fleshy aril and excavated hilum ; albumen 
fleshy ; cotyledons ovate, foliaceous ; radicle pointing to the extremity remote from the 
hilum. — Trees or shrubs. Leaves alternate, often somewhat distichous, simple, entire or 
toothed, evergreen, with stipules, usually with pellucid markings, which are most frequently 
oblong. Peduncles axillary, solitary, or numerous. 
Affinities. Placed in Polypetalous Exogens by De Candolle, who, how- 
ever, describes the order as apetalous, “ unless the petaloid layer covering the 
inner surface of the sepals be considered a corolla although this cannot be 
admitted as true, yet it may be taken as evidence of a tendency to assume a 
corolline state. This order appears to be of very uncertain affinity. Its 
apetalous flowers and fruit approximate it to Bixacese, its dotted leaves to 
Amyridaceae, near which De Candolle stations it, and its perigynous stamens 
to Rosaceae, with which its alternate stipulate leaves also ally it. Its fruit, as 
in Casearia parviflora, is sometimes remarkably like that ofViolaceae. In habit 
the order approaches Smeathmannia among Passifloraceae. Brown observes, 
that Samydaceae are especially distinguished by their leaves having a mixture 
of round and linear pellucid dots, which distinguish them from all the other 
families with which they are likely to be confounded. Congo, 444. 
Geography. Tropical shrubs. 
Properties. The bark and leaves are said to be astringent in a slight 
degree. DC. In Brazil the leaves of Casearia ulmifolia are applied to wounds, 
and their juice is drank by the sick. It is said they are a most certain remedy 
against the bite of the most noxious serpents ; it is called Marmaleiro do Mato. 
Aug. St. H. FI. Bras, merid. 2. 233. A decoction of the leaves of Casearia 
lingua is also used internally in inflammatory disorders and malignant fevers. 
It is called by the Brazilians Cha de frade and Lingua de Fin. Ibid. 
GENERA. 
Samyda, L. Casearia, Jacq. Pitumba, Aubl. Vareca, Gaertn. 
Bigelovia, Spr. Anavinga, Lam. Melistaurum, Forst. Chaetocrater, R. et P. 
Iroucana, Aubl. Athencea, Schreb. Crateria, Pers. 
Order XLV. MORINGACE^. 
MoRiNGEiE, R. Brown in Denham, p. 33. (1826) ; Bartl. Ord. Nat. 425. (1830) ; Decaisne 
in Ann. Sc. n. s. 4. 203. (1835). 
Essential Character. — Calyx consisting of 5 nearly equal divisions (deciduous, 
DC.) the tube lined with a fleshy disk ; cestivation slightly imbricated. Corolla of 5 nearly 
equal petals, the uppermost of which is ascending. Stamens 10, arising from the top of the 
tube of the calyx ; 5 opposite the sepals, sometimes sterile ; filaments slightly petaloid, cal- 
lous and hairy at the base ; anthers simple, 1 -celled, with a thick convex connective. Ovary 
stipitate, superior, 1 -celled, with 3 parietal placentae ; style filiform, terminal, not obliquely 
inserted ; stigma simple. Fruit a long pod- like capsule, with 3 valves, and only 1 cell ; 
the valves bearing the seeds along their middle. Seeds numerous, half buried in the fun- 
gous substance of the valves, sometimes winged ; embryo without albumen ; radicle straight, 
very small; cotyledons fleshy, plano-convex. — Trees. Leaves pinnate, with an odd one. 
Flowers in panicles. 
Affinities. Confounded with Leguminosse, until separated by the au- 
thority of Brown, who does not, however, point out the real affinities of the 
order. De Candolle, who did not overlook its anomalous structure as a Le- 
guminous plant, accounted for the compound nature of its fruit upon the suppo- 
sition, that although unity of carpels is the normal structure of Leguminosse, 
yet the presence of more ovaries than one, in a few instances in that order, 
F 
