

198 MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN. 



also extending to the island of Borneo and oriental Asia) 

 is an interesting form for comparison, in which the anthers 

 are connate in a cylindrical tube and open internally. The 

 monotypic Strumpfia^ of the rocky coast of the Antilles, is 

 another form which may be profitably compared. The five 

 anthers form a conical synandrium around the pistil. The 

 locules open in a more or less irregular manner at the tip, 

 the outer wall of the synandrium extending considerably 

 above the inner one. To attempt a statement of the con- 

 dition of the corolla, androecium, and gynoecium in the 

 genera of this family, even were data for such a statement 

 available, demands an unprofitable amount of space and 

 time. A quite careful examination of the genera, however, 

 has shown that in the most of those with a rotate or almost 

 rotate corolla, the androecium is characterized by elongate 

 filaments and short anthers. In some cases the anthers 

 may be elongate or linear, but in these cases they are 

 usually dorsifixed, sometimes near the base, and distant 

 instead of connivent around the style. With the exception 

 of Argostemma, N~eurocahjx and Strumpfia, I have found 

 no genera which I could confidently refer to the floral 

 habit exemplified by Solatium or Cassia. All of these 

 forms may be profitably compared with the section Lyco- 

 persicum of Solarium or with Soil f/a of the Pittosporaceae. 



VII. MELASTOMATACEOUS TYPE. 



This type is practically coextensive with the Melastoma- 

 taceae, which furnishes almost all of its members. Possi- 

 bly some of the genera from this family should be 

 included under the Solanum-Cassia type on purely struc- 

 tural grounds, but considering the nature of the character- 

 istics separating the two groups, it has been thought best 

 to retain all such forms here. 



The essential distinguishing characteristic of this type is, 

 in my opinion, the elongated filaments. There is the same 

 conspicuous, patent perianth as in the Solanum-Cassia type 



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