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 suborder, an arrangement, which I adopt here, but for the
purpose of exhibiting both views I subjoin in his own words Meisner's characters of these tribes* as
given “ in aureo Cl. Meisneri libro cui titulus: Plant-arum Fascularium Genera tabulis diag-
nosticis 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 : restivation 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, sometimes 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 2-51obed 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 exstipulate, alternate or opposite, with pellucid dots or rarely without them.”
Affinities. These are so complex that l abstain from attempting to elucidate them my.
self, 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 ip the seed is not sufficiently advanced to enable us tq
Tribus I. X anthoxyleæ—Arn.
* Genuinæ : florib-diclinib. (rarissime hermaphrod. cfr Picrasma).
Discus elevatus, gynopfiorum breve crassum formans. Ovaria in fl. $ rudimentaria, rarissime O» in fl. 0
plus minus inter se coalita, rarius distincta rarissime (v. Blackburnia) unicum, singula 2-rarius 4-ovulata. Stigmata
distincta simplicia, aut in unicum 2-5-lobum connata. Carpella 1-5 distincta aut coalita, nunc indebiscentia
drupacea, nunc capsularia 2-valvia. Albumen carnosum. Embryo sæpius cürvatus. (Folia nonnunquam oppo-
sita, plerumque pellucido-punctata.) ' ' ‘
Tribus II. Ailantheæ—Arn.
D iscus depressus a ut cupulceformis, 4 lobus. Ovaria plura, distincta, 1-ovulata, Stigm. distincta. Carpella 3-5,
distincta, indeliisc., drupacea aut samaroidea. Albumen ? tenue, carnosum, seminis integumento adbærens.
Embryo rectus. (Folia alterna, impunctata. Flor, seepe polygami.)
. .. X anthoxtlum. (L.) K t h .
juxtaposita. Cal. 4-5-part. Pef. 4-5, rarissime O. $ : Stam. sterilia. squamiformia, ananthera aut
anth. enoetas gerentia, aut O- Ovaria 5-1. Styli liberi aut apice connati, ipterdum subnulli. 'Stigmata libera
capitata, aut inter se côbærentia demum solubilia, aut (sicut styli) in unicum 4-5 lobum connata. Caps. 5-1, sessil,
V. stipitatæ, distinctie, rarius intus connatæ, 2-1-spermæ. (Arb. Y. frut., sæpe aculeat. Fol. simpl. V. compos.1
pell.-punct. Inflor, varia.—P atria extra Burop. diffusa, prcecipue intra trop.
* Ploref ajpetaü, partium numero quinario, Sepala petaloiäea (ex Kunth inlerdum I
6-9). Styli stigmate cjavatp conjuncti, basi distincti........................................... . . . . . . 1. $
* *----- Completi.
•A.—- Partium numerus ternarius. Cal. 3-dent. Pef. 3. Germ. 3-part. Styli % fili- >
__ form. Carpella 3, 1-spenna.— (Ins. Antill <).. y
B. r - —— ------ -— qualernarius.
1) Ovaria2.............................................................
2) —-------- 4. Styli 4, stigmatib............... .....>
Capitellatis'inter se cobærentes........................(
P* — - ; quinarius. Cal. 5-part. Pet. 5. Stam. 5 ................................
1) Ovaria 3-5.........................................................
2 ) ------ 1................................................
Xanthoxylon. Colden.
Tobinia Desv.
Pterota. P. Brown.
Auber tia. Bory. S. Fine»
Ochroxylum. Schreb.
Langsdorßa. Leand.
draw useful characters from it. Of the genus Zanthoxylon for example, in all the species I have
examined, 4 in number, the cotyledons are large with the albumen, if indeed such it be, reduced
to a mere membranous covering. In Toddalia bilocularis it is altogether wanting. True
these may, and perhaps ought to be removed from the genera to which they are referred on
that very account, but the fact of its absence in some and presence in others, shows how valueless
it is an ordinal character in this tribe, and is still further shown by what is observed in
Rutece and Diosmece, which, though so nearly related, are yet distinguished by the one tribe
having albumen, the other being exalbuminous. Having premised these few remarks on this
point of structure, I shall proceed with the extract.
“ This is one of the families which comprehend genera with both distinct and concrete
carpella; the latter are often entirely distinct, even in the ovarium, but more frequently there is
a union, or at least a cohesion, of the styles, by which their tendency to concretion may be
recognized. In a few instances the carpella are absolutely solitary.
“ The place originally assigned, and for a long time preserved, for most of the genera of
Zanthoxyleae, proves sufficiently how near the affinity is between them and Terebint.haceae.
If, with Messrs. Brown and Kunth, the latter are divided into several orders, Zanthoxyleae
will be most immediately allied to Burssraceae and Connaraceae, agreeing with the former in
the genera with a simple fruit, and with the latter in those with a compound one: Notwithstanding
the distance which usually intervenes in classifications between Aurantiaceae and
Terebinthaceae, there are nevertheless many points of resemblance between them; Correa has
pointed out a passage from one to the other through Cookia, K'unth, in new-modelling the genus
Amyris, and in considering it the type of a distinct order, suspects its near affinity with
Aurantiaceae; we cannot therefore, be surprised at the existence also of relations between the
latter and Zanthoxyleae. A mixture of bitter and aromatic principles, the presence of receptacles
of oil that are scattered over every part, which give a'pellucid dotted appearance to the
leaves, and which cover the rind of the fruit with opaque spaces,—all these characters give the
two families a considerable degree of analogy. This has already been indicated by M. de
Jussieu in speaking of Toddalia, and in his remarks upon the families of Aurantiaceae and
Terebim haceae ; and it is confirmed by the continual mixture, in all large herbaria, of unexamined
plants of Terebinthaceae, Zanthoxyleae, and Aurantiaceae. The fruit of the latter is,
however, extremely different; their seeds resembling, as they do, Terebinthaceae, are on that
very account at variance with Zanthoxyleae, but at the same time establish a further point of
affinity between them and some Rutaceous plants which are destitute of albumen. Unisexual
flowers, fruit separating into distinct cocci, seeds solitary or twin in these cocci, enclosing a
usually smooth and blackish integument, which is even sometimes hollowed out on its inner
edge, a fleshy albumen surrounding an embrvp the radicle of which is superior, are all points of
analogy between Zanthoxyleae and Euphoroiaceae, particularly between those which have in
their male flowers from 4 to 8 stamens inserted round the rudiment of a pistil, and in the
female flowers cells with 2 suspended, usually collateral, ovules. Finally, several Zanthoxyleous
plants have in their habit, and especially in their foliage, a marked resemblance to the ash.
The dioecious flowers of Fraximus, its ovarium, the two cells of which are compressed, having
a single style, 2 ovules in the inside, and scales on the outside, and which finally changes into a
samara which is 1 -celled and l-seeded by abortion, all establish certain points of contact
between Ptelea and Fraximus.” Adde Juss.
Geographical Distribution. The greatest number of the plants of this order are found
in tropical America, a few are natives of Africa: two of which, Zanthoxylon Senegalense and
Z. Leprieurii resembling our Z. Rhetsa, are from Senegambia. On continental India the number
hitherto discovered is not great: they appear more numerous in the Islands to the eastward.
Blume, including Rutea, has from Java 14 species, while Roxburgh has for India only seven,
Wallich’s list has about 28 for all India. The Peninsular flora at the time of our publication
only presented a catalogue of 10 species for the whole order Rutacece, but for Zanthoxyleae
excluding Rutece and Ailanthece only 5, one of which is since excluded, and the genus of
another still doubtful. In addition to the species described in the Prodromus, I have since
found Zanthoxylon (Fagara, Roxb.) triphyllum and two new species referable to the subgenus
Langsdorfia, also Toddalia Jloribunda, Wallich, thus adding four species to our list which now
exceeds Roxburgh’s.