546 CORIARIACEAE. [ Corraria. 
Family LIX. CORIARIACEAE. 
Glabrous shrubs, sometimes small and almost herbaceous; branches 
angular, the lower opposite. Leaves opposite or rarely in whoris of 3, 
entire, exstipulate. Flowers regular, hermaphrodite or polygamous, small, 
usually in axillary racemes. Sepals 5, imbricate, persistent. Petals 5, 
hypogynous, smaller than the sepals, keeled within, enlarged atter flower- 
ing and becoming thick and fleshy and embracing the fruit. Stamens 10, 
hypogynous, free, or the alternate ones adnate to the petals; filaments 
short; anthers large. Disc absent. Carpels 5-10, free, 1-celled, whorled 
on a short conical receptacle; styles as many as the carpels, free, thick, 
elongated, covered for the whole length with stigmatic papillae; ovules 
solitary, pendulous from the top of the cell. Fruit of 5-10 oblong inde- 
hiscent cocci, closely embraced by the fleshy and juicy petals, 1-celled, 
l-seeded. Seed with a membranous testa; albumen a thin layer only ; 
embryo with plano-convex cotyledons and a superior radicle. 
A small family of very doubtful relationship, comprising the single genus Coriaria. 
Species 8 or 10, found in New Zealand, South America. Japan. China. the Himalavas 
north Af 
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