Leaves stipulate. Flowers regular, hermaphrodite, rarely (_Neoluederitzia_) dioecious. Petals 4-5, free, rarely wanting. Stamens 1-3 times as many as the petals. Filaments usually with an appendage at the base. Anthers attached by the back. Ovary superior, 3-10-celled, lobed, angled or winged. Style simple, rarely (_Seetzenia_) styles 5.--Genera 12, species 90. (Plate 72.) 1. Fruit drupaceous, one-seeded. Seeds without albumen. Ovary 3-5-celled with 1 pendulous ovule in each cell. Filaments without an appendage. Corolla yellowish-green. Leaves alternate, simple and undivided or of 2 leaflets. Shrubs or trees. [Subfamilies =BALANITOIDEAE= and =NITRARIOIDEAE=.] 2 Fruit capsular or separating into several nutlets, several-or many-seeded. Leaves opposite, at least the lower ones, more rarely all alternate, but then dissected or pinnate with many leaflets. 3 2. Fruit with a very thick endocarp. Ovary 5-celled, surrounded by a cupular disc; ovules attached at the top of the cells. Style rather long; stigma 1. Stamens 10. Petals oblong. Sepals hairy. Leaves with two leaflets. Spiny plants.--Species 3. Central Africa, Sahara, Egypt. They yield timber, fish-poison, vegetables, medicaments, oily seeds, and edible fruits which are also used as a substitute for soap and for preparing a spirituous drink. “Zachun-oil-tree.” (_Agialid_ Adans.) (Plate 72.) =Balanites= Del. Fruit with a thin endocarp, opening finally by 6 teeth at the top. Ovary 3-celled; ovules attached near the middle of the cells. Style very short; stigmas 3, converging. Stamens usually 15. Petals concave, induplicate-valvate in bud. Sepals fleshy, imbricate in bud. Leaves simple, undivided, fleshy.--Species 2. North Africa and northern Central Africa. They yield soda and edible fruits which are said to be inebriating. “Nitre bush.” =Nitraria= L. 3. Leaves pinnately dissected or irregularly many-cleft, alternate. Filaments without an appendage. Ovary 3-4-celled with several or many ovules in each cell. Seeds albuminous. Herbs. [Subfamilies =TETRADICLIDOIDEAE= and =PEGANOIDEAE=.] 4 Leaves undivided, unifoliolate, digitate, or pinnate, usually opposite. Ovary 4-10-, usually 5-celled. [Subfamily =ZYGOPHYLLOIDEAE=.] 5 4. Leaves pinnately dissected. Flowers small. Calyx 3-4-toothed. Petals 3-4, obovate. Stamens 3-4. Ovary deeply lobed, the lobes incompletely 3-celled, 6-ovuled.--Species 1. North-east Africa. =Tetradiclis= Stev. Leaves irregularly many-cleft. Flowers rather large. Sepals 4-5, linear. Petals 4-5, oblong. Stamens 8-15. Ovary slightly lobed, with undivided, many-ovuled cells.--Species 1. North Africa. The seeds are used medicinally, as a condiment, and for dyeing. =Peganum= L. 5. Leaves unequally pinnate or digitate, rarely unifoliolate; in the latter case disc indistinct and ovules ascending. Filaments without an appendage. Ovary 5-celled with 1-2 ovules in each cell. 6