SUBORDER CYNOMORIINEAE
[FAMILY 184.] CYNOMORIACEAE
Reddish-brown, fleshy herbs, parasitic upon roots. Leaves scale-like. Flowers in terminal spadices, polygamous. Perianth of 1-5 narrow segments. Stamen 1. Anther versatile, turned inwards, 2-celled. Ovary inferior, 1-celled. Ovule 1, pendulous, almost straight. Style simple; stigma entire. Fruit a nut. Seed albuminous; embryo small, without cotyledons.
Genus 1, species 1. North Africa. Used medicinally. Cynomorium Mich.
ORDER UMBELLIFLORAE
[FAMILY 185.] ARALIACEAE
Shrubs or trees. Leaves usually stipulate. Inflorescence composed of umbels, racemes, heads, or spikes. Flowers 4-16-merous. Calyx entire or shortly toothed, imbricate or open in bud. Petals free, valvate in bud, or united into a cap. Stamens as many as petals or more. Anthers versatile, opening by two longitudinal slits. Ovary inferior or half-inferior, crowned by a disc (stylopod), 2-or more-celled, rarely (Polyscias) 1-celled. Ovules solitary in each cell, pendulous, inverted, with ventral raphe. Fruit indehiscent. Seeds albuminous.—Genera 8, species 75. (Plate 118.)
1. Stem climbing by means of small aerial roots. Leaves entire or lobed, without stipules. Flowers in umbels, 5-merous; pedicels not jointed.
Stamens 5. Ovary 5-celled; style simple. Fruit a berry; endocarp membranous. Seeds with ruminate albumen.—Species 1 (H. Helix L., ivy). North Africa. Used as ornamental and medicinal plants; the fruits are poisonous. Hedera L.
Stem without adhesive roots. Leaves pinnate or digitate, rarely undivided or lobed, but then ovary 2-4-celled and style 2-4-parted. Fruit a drupe or a nut; endocarp leathery, crustaceous, cartilaginous, or bony. 2
2. Leaves undivided, lobed, or digitate. Stipules usually distinctly developed.
Pedicels not jointed. 3
Leaves pinnate. Stipules indistinctly developed or wanting. Seeds with uniform albumen. 5
3. Ovary 2-, rarely 3-4-celled. Styles short, free or united below. Stylopod convex or conical. Petals 5, free. Stamens 5. Endocarp crustaceous.
Albumen usually ruminate. Flowers in spikes or racemes, rarely in umbels.—Species 25. Tropical and South Africa. (Including Seemannaralia
Viguier). (Plate 118.) Cussonia Thunb.
Ovary 5-15-celled. Petals 5-15, usually united in the shape of a cap.
Albumen uniform. Flowers in umbels or heads, rarely in racemes.
Leaves digitate. 4
4. Stamens as many as the petals.—Species 13. Tropics. (Including
Astropanax Seem., Heptapleurum Gaertn., and Sciadophyllum P. Browne) Schefflera Forst.
HALORRHAGACEAE.