Page:Illustrations of Indian Botany, Vol. 2.djvu/146

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ILLUSTRATIONS OF INDIAN BOTANY.

EXPLANATION

A.

1. Viburnum cotinefolium, flowering branch, natural size.

2. Portion of the cyme showing the bracts, bractiols, flower-buds and an expanded flower.

3. Corolla split open.

4. Anthers, back and front views.

5. Ovary — 6. the same cut vertically showing the solitary ovule pendulous from the apex of the cell.

7. A raceme of fruit of V. Wightianum, natural size.

8. A berry cut transversely, showing the foliaceous embryo in the centre of copious albumen.

9. Berry cut vertically showing the radicle pointing to the apex.

All, with exceptions mentioned, more or less magnified. B.

I. Lonicera Leschenaultii or mollis.

1. Two flower-buds with bracts and bractiols.

2. Corolla split open.

3. Anthers, back and front views.

4. Style and stigma.

5. Ovary cut vertically.

6. An immature fruit cut transversely.

II. Lonicera Leschenaultii — true. Same parts and numbers as above.

OF PLATE 121.

III. Lonicera ligustrina.

Numbers and parts of the flowers still the same as above.

C.

Jlbelia triflora.

1. A flower and flower-bud with their bract.

2. Detached flower, the corolla split open.

3. Anthers, back and front views.

4. Ovary cut vertically.

5. Immature fruit cut transversely.

6. An immature seed, showing the radicle, pointing towards the apex.

D.

Leycesterea formosa.

1. Detached flower unexpanded.

2. Flower full blown.

3. Corolla split open.

4. Stamens, back and front views.

5. Ovary, calyx and bract

6. Ovary cut transversely, and one cell vertically, to show the numerous ovules.

7. A fruit more advanced.

8. The same cut transeversely.

9. A detached seed.

Copied from WaUich's Plant. As. rar.

RubiacecB Juss., D. C, W. and A., §c.

This is a family of great extent and, viewed in relation to the medicinal and economical relations of many of its members, a highly interesting one, numbering among them the almost inestimable Cinchona, or Peruvian Bark, and the scarcely less valuable Ipecacuana. When to these medicines we add coffee, as an aliment, we have a list scarcely equalled in importance by any other family, and yet these form but a small portion of the valuable products contributed by this family for the benefit of mankind. The number of its species is quite in proportion to its utility, though of course vast numbers of them are of no value, or, if they are, their properties are still to be discovered.

In our Prodromus we, in common with all writers on Botany, except Lindley, adopted the name Rubiacece for this order. As, however, it must be admitted that in the adoption of that name, in the first instance, the celebrated founder of the natural system of Botany widely departed from his own rules in selecting one of the most unimportant and least characteristic genera of the order as the type whence the whole were to derive their family name ; and moreover Rubia not being a genuine member of the order, I cannot but agree with Lindley in thinking that the sooner we set about correcting the error the better.

Under this view of the case I here adopt his name Cinchonacece, Cinchona being certainly the most important if not the most characteristic genus of the whole 270 combined to form this magnificent family ; which may safely be computed to embrace considerably above 2500 species. Among these every form of vegetation is met with, from the lowly annual up to the stateliest trees of the forest.

Character of the Order. Tube of the calyx cohering with the ovarium; the limb various, truncated or lobed, consisting of as many sepals as petals, rarely with accessory intermediate teeth. Petals 4-5, rarely 3-8, united, inserted upon the summit of the tube of the calyx : aestivation twisted or valvate. Stamens as many as the lobes of the corolla, alternate with them (rarely some of them suppressed) : filaments more or less combined with the tube : anthers oval, 2-celled, turned inwards : pollen elliptical. Ovarium adherent, usually 2-celled, or with several cells, rarely (by abortion) 1-celled, crowned by a fleshy often urceolate disk : style single, sometimes partly divided : stigmas usually 2, rarely several distinct, or more or