H. F. Wernham. 
156 
Ebenales. 
This group consists almost entirely of tropical trees; the 
andrcecium, comprising typically at least two whorls, and often 
more, entitles it to a place in the Pentacyclidze. The stamens are 
not infrequently indefinite in number, and this character is constant 
for the Symplocacese; in these cases the stamens are often united 
in groups. In Styracaceae the stamens are usually more numerous 
than the corolla-segments, but are uniseriate in arrangement. 
Isomery of the androecium is frequent in the Sapotaceae, the stamens 
being placed opposite to the petals ; very rarely the stamens equal 
the petals in number and alternate with them—e.g., Maba (Ebenaceae) 
The stamens are hypogynous in some Ebenaceae, but are 
generally inserted at the base of the corolla in that natural order 
and in Styracaceae and Symplocaceae. In Sapotaceae the stamens 
are epipetalous on the corolla-tube. 
The gynascium is typically isomerous with the corolla, although 
the number of carpels may be more or less indefinite, on the one 
hand, or two only, on the other; the ovary is usually multilocular. 
In Styracaceae and Symplocaceae the ovules are few in each loculus ; 
in Ebenaceae the number of two per loculus is not exceeded, and in 
Sapotaceae each loculus is uniovulate. 
The petals are free or almost so in the Symplocaceae; but in 
the other orders sympetaly is fully established. The flowers are 
regular throughout the cohort; there is no tendency to zygomorphy. 
Conspicuousness is attained by the more or less close clustering of 
relatively small flowers in axillary inflorescences. 
In view of its essential characters, this cohort would appear to 
share a common ancestry with the archiehlamydean Parietales. 
Engler has included a large number of natural orders in the latter 
group, which comprises, broadly, the Guttiferales and Passiflorales 
of Bentham and Hooker, together with certain of their “ Parietales.” 
and Caryophyllinae. 1 
We have already drawn attention to Engler’s Parietales as 
reflecting, first, what we have designated the secondary branching 
tendency, 2 and second, the tendency to epigyny 3 ; and the expression 
of both these is clearly observable in the Ebenales. The poly- 
petalous cohort is characterized by an indefinite androecium, coupled 
with a tendency to oligomery, in most of the natural orders, and 
1 See Willis. “ Flowering Plants and Ferns.” pp. 129, 130, 132. 
2 Supra, pp. 80, 111. 3 Supra, p. 116. 
