166
ILLUSTRATIONS OF INDIAN BOTANY.
with perfect stamens and the rudiments only of an ovary, or with a perfect ovary and imperfect stamens. Ailantheae are usually united with these as a mere tribe, Dr. Arnott in my opinion more judiciously forms of them a suhorder, an arrangement, which I adopt here, hut for the purpose of exhibiting both views I subjoin in his own words Meisner's characters of these tribes* as given " in aureo CI. Meisneri libro cui titulus: Plantarum Vascular inm Genera tabulis diagnosticis exposita" a work well meriting the brief but forcible encomium thus bestowed by the celebrated DeCandolle, himself, the author of the noblest Botanical work that has yet issued from the press, a monument of the most untiring industry, and most profound research.
"Flowers by abortion unisexual, regular. Calyx 3-4-5 divided. Petals equal in number (rarely more) to the sepals : aestivation usually twisted, convolute. Stamens as many, or twice as many, as the petals, inserted round the base of the torus. Torus elevated and forming a gynophore or short thick stalk to the pistillum, which, in the male flowers, is rudimentary or rarely entirely absent. Carpels usually as many as the petals, sometimps fewer, seated on the gynophore, sometimes combined into one ovary, sometimes entirely or partially distinct* ovules 2, or rarely 4, in each carpel: styles in the single ovaries combined, in the distinct ovaries either distinct or combined upwards, sometimes none : stigma 2-5 lobed in the united styles, simple in the distinct styles. Fruit sometimes single, baccate or membranaceous. 2 5 celled : sometimes of 1-5 distinct drupes or 2 valved capsules, of which the sarcocarp is either entirely combined with, or only partially separable from, the endocarp. Seeds solitary or in pairs, pendulous. Embryo lying within a fleshy albumen: radicle superior: cotyledons oval, flat. — • Leaves exslipulate, alternate or opposite, with pellucid dots or rarely without them."
Affinities. These are so complex that I abstain from attempting to elucidate them myself, and therefore have course to the far abler exposition given by the younger Jussieu, and reprinted in Lindley's Natural System of Botany, merely observing, that I am not disposed to lay so much stress on characters taken from the absence or presence of albumen in the seed, since every day's observation tends to convince me that characters taken from it require to be used with caution, as I think our knowledge of vegetable structure, in connection with the absence or presence of this substance in the seed is not sufficiently advanced to enable us to
Tribus I. XANTHoxLEa; — Arn.
- Genuinse : florib-diclinib. (rarissime liermapbrod. cfr Picrasma).
A. Discus elevatus, gynophorum breve crassum forrnans. Ovaiia in fi. £ rudimentaria, rarissime Q, in fl. $ plus minus inter se coalita, rarius distincta rarissime (v. Blackburnia) unicum, singula 2-rarius 4-ovulata. Stig- mata distincta simplicia, aut in unicum 2-5-lobum connata. Carpella 1-5 disiincia aut coalita, nunc indebisceniia drupacea, nunc capsularia 2-valvia. Albumen carnosum. Embryo saepius curvatus. (Folia nonnunquam oppo- sita, plerumque pellucido-punctata.)
Tribus II. AilanthejE— Arn. Discus depressus aut cupulwformis, 4 lobus. Ovaiia plura, distincta, 1-ovulata. Stigm. distincta. Carpella 3-5, distincta, indehisc, drupacea aut samaroidea. Albumen ? tenue, carnosum, seminis integumento adheerens. Embryo rectus. (Folia altema, impunctata. Flor. ssepe polygami.)
Xanthoxylum. (L.) Kth.
1 Ovula juxtaposita. Cal. 4-5-part. Pet. 4-5, rarissime O. 9 : Stam. sterilia squamiformia, ananthera aut anth. effoetas gerentia, aut O- Ovaria 5-1. Styli liberi aut apice connati, interdum subnulli. Stigmata libera capitata, aut inter se cobaerentia demum solubilia, aut (sicut styli) in unicum 4-5 lobum connata. Caps. 5-1, sessil. "V. stipitatse, distinctae, rarius inius connaiee, 2-1-spermse. (Arb. V. i'rut., segpe aculeat. Fol, simpl. V. compos, pell.-punct. Inflor. varia. — Patria extra Euroji. diffusa, pra?cipue intra trop.
- Flores apetali, partium numero quinario. Sepala petaloidea (ex K until interdum) Xanthoxidon Colden
9). Styli stigmate clavato conjuiicti, basi distincti $ - J
nt. Pet. 3. Germ. 3-part. Styli 3, fili- )„,,.. n , n n ■> n f f a A t J ovinia Desv.
. Carpella 6, 1-spenna.— (Ins. Antiu .).. )
6
- — —Completi.
A. — Partium numerus ternarius. Cal. 3-dent
form
B. qualernarius.
1) Ovaria 2 Pterota. P. Brown
2)
g T—. 4 -. %li4,stigmatib.. I Auhertia. Bory. S. Fine
Capilellatis inter se colieerentes *
quinarius. Cal. 5^ part. Pet. 5. Stam. 5
1) Ovaiia 3-5 Ochroxylum. Schreb.
2) 1 , Lanysdorfia. Leand.
