POMACEX, in botany, the name of the thirty-sixth order in Linmeus's Frag ments of a Natural Method, consisting of genera, which have a pulpy esculent fruit, of the apple, berry, and cherry kind ; such are the prunus, pyrus, ribes, &c. The plants of this order are most of the shrub and tree kind : the roots are branched, fibrous, and long. In the drop wort they consist of a number of oval knobs, which hang, or are fastened toge ther by slender fibres : hence, its English name, and also the Linnxan name, spirzea filipendula. The stems and branches are cylindric ; the bark is thick and wrinkled. The buds are of a conical form, placed in the angles of the leaves, and covered with scales, which lie over one another like tiles. In the apple, pear, plum, &c besides the buds of the leaves, there are scaly buds or eyes of a different form, from which proceed bundles or clusters of flowers. The leaves, which differ in form, being in some genera simple, in others winged, are, in the greater num ber, placed alternate. The flowers are
universally hermaphrodite, except in the spirzea aruncus, in which male and fe male flowers are produced upon distinct plants. The flower-cup is of one piece, with five divisions, which are permanent, and placed above the seed-bud, in the ap ple, currant, &c. ; in others they fall off with the flower, or wither upon the stalk. The petals are five, inserted into the tube of the calyx. The stamina are ge nerally twenty and upwards, attached also to the margin of the tube of the calyx, the anthers are short, and slightly attach ed to the filaments. The seed-bud is single ; and the seed-vessel is a pulpy fruit of the apple, berry, or cherry-kind. Those of the apple kind are divided in ternally into a number of cells. The seeds in the pomegranate, apple, and currant-trees, are numerous ; in the ser vice-tree three ; in the medlar five : in peach, plum, &e. a single nut or stone, containing a kernel.