Page:Illustrations of Indian Botany, Vol. 1.djvu/362

180  The well known Buckthorn, Rhamnus catharticus, belongs to this family, and the cathartic properties of its fruit are common to several other members of the genus. The fruit of Zizyphus on the other hand are destitute of cathartic qualities, and some of them are even wholesome and pleasant to eat among which the well known Bhir fruit, Zizyphus jujuba, may be mentioned. In China the peduncles of Hovenia dulces swell and become succulent, and are there much esteemed as a fruit resembling a ripe pear. Sageretia Theezans another Chinese plant, a member of this order is used there in place of tea by the poorer classes. Some other species are used medicinally in America, but upon the whole this order cannot boast the possession of any very important property, though, those it does enjoy, are of so mixed a character. The natives of this country use two or three species medicinally, but apparently place little reliance on them, as they seem to be employed rather as vehicles for the administration of more active ones, than for any useful quality they possess.

The genera of this order have been ably elucidated by Brogniart in his memoir on this family, published in the ''Annal. des Sciences Naturelles'', who has on this head left almost nothing to be desired. In our Prodromus we have adopted his genera so far as the Peninsular flora extends, but that is not far, as we have only seven genera out of about 32 referred by him to the order. My recent collections have not added to the number, though one or two new species have been found, one, namely, of Berchemia and one of Colubrina. I have besides some variations of forms already described, but which I do not think can be elevated to the rank of species. The genera are conveniently divided into two sections, those namely, with dehiscent, and those with indehiscent fruit. To the former belongs Gouania, Colubrina and Scutia : to the latter Berchemia, Rhamnus, Zizyphus, and Ventilago—figures of all these except Gouania are now published in this work and in the Icones, and do not require further notice here.


 * Scutia India—1. A branch bearing both flowers arid fruit—natural size.
 * 2. The calyx, petals and stamens removed from the ovary.
 * 3. Back and front views of the stamens, (he latter with the petal still attached.
 * 4. The ovary detached from the flower.
 * 5. ---cut vertically, ovules erect.
 * 6. The ovary cut transversely, 2-celled, with a solitary ovule in each.
 * 7. A fruit nearly full grown.
 * 8. ---cut transversely, 2-seeded, seeds compressed.
 * 9. A seed — natural size.
 * 10. The same cut transversely, showing the embryo surrounded by albumen— with the exceptions mentioned, all more or less magnified.


 * 1. Colubrina Asiatica—natural size.
 * 2. An expanded flower seen from above.
 * 3. Stamens back and front views.
 * 4. A full grown fruit cut transversely, 3-celled, with three triangular albuminous seed.
 * 5. A seed—natural size.
 * 6. The same—magnified.
 * 7. Cut transversely, showing the foliaceous cotyledons enclosed in albumen.
 * 8. The embryo detached—with the exceptions mentioned, all more or less magnified.

 

As now constituted this is a large order of plants consisting of trees and shrubs, for the most part abounding with Balsamic resinous juices, but differing so much among themselves, both in their properties and Botanical characters, that it is almost impossible to bring them together, as one well digested order, by any combination of characters not including nearly as many negative as there are positive marks. To avoid this difficulty, which would have appeared more striking where there are so few to be described, we, in our Prodromus did not attempt to give a character of the whole order, but only of these sections or suborders appertaining to our flora. By this means, aided by the removal of the tribe Connaracece as a distinct order, and of Toddalia and Ailanthus to Zanthoxylacece, the Indian branch of the order, as it now stands in our 