PITTIER TREATMENT OF THE GENUS CASTILLA. 257 



in the other species investigated in this respect. The scales covering 

 the outer surface of the receptacle, as well as the basal bracts, are 

 more or less free, broad, or acute, etc., but on the whole they do not 

 seem to furnish us with any definite character. Neither do the sta- 

 mens differ in shape, dimensions, or arrangement from those in the 

 primary inflorescences. 



PISTILLATE INFLORESCENCE. 



In all species of Castilla the female inflorescence consists of a cup- 

 like receptacle, more or less open, according to the number of included 

 flowers and also to the stage reached in their development. The fig- 

 ures and descriptions vary according to the period of the investiga- 

 tion. Hooker gives very good figures." and so do Warburg h and 

 Cook," but other authors, as even Hemsley in his plate of C. australix, 

 give as inflorescences what are really fruit receptacles in a more or 

 less advanced condition. 



The imbricate scales are in several rows, more or less free, narrow 

 and acuminate at first, but usually broadened, obtuse, and grown 

 together in later stages. Every degree of transition is observed be- 

 tween the marginal scales or bracts and the perfect flowers, so that 

 the first scales must be considered morphologically as aborted flowers. 



The development of the flowers takes place successively from the 

 center to the periphery, the full anthesis being reached with the 

 appearance of the stigmas. The number of flowers on each receptacle 

 is variable within certain limits for the same species, and there 

 usually remain on the outside numerous undeveloped flower buds that 

 are not easily distinguished from the bracts or scales. 



The perianth is tubulose and with thick walls. It is always free 

 and attenuate at the tip, entire or obscurely lobulate in C. fallax, ('. 

 lactiflua, C. costaricana, and (\ panam.ensis, and 3 to 5-lobate in C. 

 australis, C. yuatemalensis, C. nicoyensis, and C. elmtica; hairy 

 without and within in C. lactifua and C. nicoyensis, but on the outside 

 only in the other species. In ('. australis and C. fallax these flowers 

 are free to the base; they are slightly connate or free in 0. guatemal- 

 ensis and ('. panamensis, connate for about half their length in ('. 

 nicoyensis and C. elastica, and almost completely concrescent in C. 

 costaricana. 



Each flower contains one pistil. The ovary is 1-celled and partially 

 adherent to the perianth. There is also only one ovule, more or less 

 lobulate at the lower part and inserted on the placenta near the top 

 of the ovary cell in such a way that the funicle is very close to the 

 micropyle. 



"Trans. Linn. Soc, ser. 2, vol. 2, pi. 27. (18S5.) 



6 Lps plantes a caoutchouc, p. us. 



€ Culture of Central American rubber tree. loc. cit., pi. 6. 



