600 MONOECIA PENTANDRIA. Xanthium. 
den in 1798. Now, July 1802, both male and female trees 
are in blossom, and about fifteen feet high. 
Trunk straight. Bark smooth, olive-coloured. Branches 
numerous, spreading in every direction. Young shoots 
clothed with much short, soft, hairy pubescence. Leavesal- . 
ternate, petioled, from ovate to round-cordate, three-nerved, 
serrate, acute, harsh, deep green above, hoary underneath, 
from four to eight inches long, and from two to six or seven 
broad. Petioles rather shorter than the leaves, round,downy. 
Stipules semi-cordate, lanceolate, caducous. Panicles axil- 
lary, solitary, with a few flexuose branches. MALE FLOw- 
ERS, hitherto they have been only found in a distinct tree, 
and collected in little, rather remote fascicles over the rami- 
fications of the panicles. Calyx four-toothed, Stamens 
long and recurved. FEMALE FLOweERs collected in little, 
round, aggregate heads. Calyx urceolate, entire, becoming 
succulent. Style or stigma single, long, curved, villous. 
Berry round, size of a pea, very succulent, pure, pellucid, 
white when ripe, and containing many very minute seeds. — 
The taste of the ripe fruit is sweet, but rather insipid. 
MONOECIA PENTANDRIA. 
XANTHIUM. Schreb. gen. N. 1426. 
Male calyx ; common imbricated. Corol one-petalled, five- 
cleft, funnel-formed. Receptacle chaffy. Female calyx ; in- 
volucre two-leaved, two-flowered. Corol none. Drupe dry, 
murexed, two-cleft. Nut two-celled, Linn. Syst. 
To our Indian plant the following essential generic charac- 
ter suits better, viz, Male aggregate, Calyx ; common, im- 
bricated ; corollets tubular, five-toothed. Nectary cylindric, 
antheriferous. Female calyx as in the male. Corol none. 
Germ superior, two-celled ; cells one-seeded ; attachment in- 
ferior. Styles two pair. Diaas dry, muricate, two-celled. 
Seed solitary. Embryo erect, without —_ jeu. 
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