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ILLUSTRATIONS OF INDIAN BOTANY.
VII. Daucinejt; — Dauciis catotd*
1. Flower, front view. — 2, Stamens. — 3. Ovary after
the fall of the petals. — 4. Mature fruit. — 5. Mericarps
separating. — 6. Cut transversely. — 7. The proper seed
detached from the pericarp.
VIII. Sc ANoiciNEiE — Ozodict faniculacea. 1. A flower unexp.mded. — 2. The same, the petals re- moved, showing the stamens, in situ and a petal from within. — 3. Anthers.— 4. A mature fruit. — 5. The same
cut transversely, showing the longitudinal furrow of the albumen. — 6. A seed cut longitudinally, showing the mi- nute embryo. — 7. beed removed from the pericarp.
IX Coriandbe.e — Conundrum sotivum. 1. A flower of the disc, petals all equal. - 2. A flower of the ray, the exterior petals larger and heteromorphous. — 3. Anthers. — -i. Ovary and large limb of the calyx. — 5. Fruit. — 6. Cut transversely — 7. Cut lougiludiually, showing the bow-like curve of the albumen.
LXXIX.—ARALIACEAE.
An inconsiderable order of plants, but widely distributed over tbe eastern portions of Asia and the tropical and warmer portions of North America, possessing many of the characters of Umbelliferae. hut differing in habit, most of them being trees and shrubs usually procumbent or climbing. The best known of the family is perhaps the common Ivy. All those that I have met with in this country, except the Chinese Gensing, have a diffuse somewhat climbing habit, like the Ivy, but on a much larger scale, the branches being sometimes as thick as a man's leg.
" Calyx entire or toothed. Petals 5- 16, alternate with the teeth of the calyx, very rarely "wanting and then (in Adoxa) perhaps changed into supplementary stamens : aestivation val- vate. Stamens as many as the petals, rarely twice as many, inserted below the margin of a large epigynous disc, anthers 2 celled. Ovarium cohering with the tube of the calyx, of two or more cells, or very rarely of one cell : ovules solitary, pendulous : styles as many as the cells of the ovary, distinct, concrete, or rarely wanting : stigmas simple. Fruit usually fleshy, 2- 15-celled, or very rarely with only I -cell, crow ned with the limb of the calyx : endocarp crus- taceous. Seeds solitary pendulous. Embryo small, surrounded with a copious fleshy albumen, close to the hilum : radicle pointing to the hilum, superior. — Trees, shrubs, or herbaceous plants. Leaves alternate, exstipulate. Flowers umbelled or capitate."
Affinities. Umbelliferae is considered the nearest relation of this order,from which this is principally distinguished by its arborious habit and many celled ovary ; the last, apart from habit, is not always sufficient to distinguish it, the carpels being in one or two genera, reduc- ed to two. The fruit however supplies a good mark being usually pulpy or fleshy in Araliaceae, and dry in Umbell iferae. By this structure, as well as by habit, it closely approaches Ampelideae from which it is only distinguished by the superior ovary and by its stamens being alternate with, not opposite to, the petals. Through Hedera (Ivy) it approaches Caprifoliaceae (the El- der and Honey suckle tribe) from which however it is at once distinguished by the insertion of the stamens, which in Araliaceae is on the disc, in Caprifoliaceae on the corolla. Upon the whole I am disposed to consider this order more nearly allied to Ampelideae than to any other.
Geographical Distribution. Though the number of species appertaining to this order be small (about 130) they have yet a very wide geographical range, two genera (Adoxa and He- dera) being found indigenous in England,some in North America, several in the tropical parts of that continent, some in Madagascar and the Mauritias, and a considerable number in Asia and her Islands, where they extend from Cape Comorin northwards to high on the Himalayas, and from Malabar eastwards to China I possess specimens of several apparently new species, collected in Assam, but which I forbear to name, as Dr. Wallich's list already gives the names of 42 species, among which it is probable they are to be found.
This immense diffusion of some orders, in comparison with others of much greater extent as regards the number of species, is a fit subject to occupy the attention of the Philosophical Naturalist, but has not yet attracted that degree of attention which its interest seems naturally to demand.
Properties and Uses. These are of very minor importance, so far at least as we are enabled to judge from sensible properties. The Gensing ( Panax quinquifoliumj, tbe root of winch iii an agreeable bitter-sweet with some aromatic pungeucy, has a prodigious reputation
