SUBORDER BUXINEAE
[FAMILY 124.] BUXACEAE
Shrubs or trees. Juice not milky. Leaves opposite, simple, entire. Flowers in lateral fascicles, heads or spikes, regular, monoecious. Perianth simple, of 4 segments in the male flowers, of 4-6 in the female. Disc absent. Stamens 4, opposite the sepals, or 6. Filaments free. Anthers 2-celled. Ovary superior, 3-celled. Ovules 2 in each cell, pendulous or nearly so, inverted, with dorsal raphe. Styles 3, free, short and thick, undivided, persisting in fruit. Fruit a loculicidal capsule. Seeds albuminous; embryo axile, straight.—Genera 3; species 8. (Under EUPHORBIACEAE.)
1. Stamens 4; filaments long. Male flowers with a rudimentary pistil.
Perianth of the female flowers of 4-6 segments.—Species 6. The box
(B. sempervirens L.) is used as a garden-plant and yields wood and medicaments; another species affords arrow-poison. [Tribe BUXEAE.] Buxus L.
Stamens 6; filaments very short or absent. Male flowers without a rudimentary pistil. Perianth of the female flowers of 4 segments.
[Tribe STYLOCEREAE.] 2
2. Flowers in fascicles, the male on long pedicels, very small. Leaves narrowed into a long point.—Species 1. Central Africa. Macropodandra Gilg
Flowers in groups of 3, nearly sessile, not very small. Leaves blunt or slightly pointed.—Species 1. South-east Africa. Notobuxus Oliv.
SUBORD ER EMPETRINEAE
[FAMILY 125.] EMPETRACEAE
Low shrubs. Leaves alternate, sometimes almost whorled, undivided, grooved on the under surface, without stipules. Flowers solitary or in heads, bracteolate, unisexual or polygamous. Sepals 3. Petals 3 or none. Stamens 3, hypogynous, opposite to the sepals, free. Disc absent. Ovary superior, 2-9-celled. Ovules solitary in each cell, erect, inverted, with ventral raphe. Style branched. Fruit a drupe. Seeds without an outgrowth at the hilum, albuminous. Embryo axile; radicle turned downwards.—Genera 2, species 2. North and South Africa.
Flowers, at least the male, crowded in terminal heads. Ovary cells, style-branches, and fruit-stones 2-5. Style with linear branches.—Species
1. Canary Islands and Azores. The fruits are used as a condiment and in medicine. Corema Don
Flowers solitary, on lateral dwarf-shoots. Ovary-cells, style-branches, and fruit-stones 6-9. Style with broadened branches.—Species 1. Island of Tristan da Cunha. The fruits (crawberries) are eaten and used for preparing drinks and medicaments. Empetrum L.
SUBORDER CORIARIINEAE
[FAMILY 126.] CORIARIACEAE