Myricacese^ Platanese, Altingiacefc, and Chloranthacese. 107 



in Chloranthus having the addition of half an anther on each 

 side, which, becoming adherent to the central perfect anther, 

 form a monadelphous bundle ; dehiscence lateral or internal. 

 Ovary consisting of a single car{)el, anterior ; in Hedtjosmum 

 of three carpels united by their margins, — one, which is the 

 fertile, anterior, and two obliquely posterior. Style none, or 

 very short, occasionally very slender. Stigma simple, in 

 Ascarina bifid, and in Hedyosmum more or less triangular, the 

 angles opposite those of the triangular ovary, and alternate 

 with the segments of the calyx, or consisting of one enlarged 

 anterior lobe. Placenta a single filiform body included in the 

 posterior side of the ovary ; in Hedyosmum consisting of three 

 such cords attached to the walls, alternate with the angles of 

 the triangular ovary. Ovule single, orthotropal, pendulous 

 from the posterior side of the ovary near the apex, in Hedyos- 

 mum from the apex. Embryo minute, at the apex of albumen ; 

 radicle large compared with the cotyledons, which appear as 

 if produced by a notch in its upper extremity. (PI. VI. figs. 

 14, 15, 17, 18 & 19.) 



The affinity of this family with Piperacese is so well established 

 as to deserve no further notice, but their relation to the Amenta- 

 ceous tribes is scarcely less remarkable, if the parts of the flower 

 are separately taken into comparison ; — thus the male flowers of 

 Ascarina polystachya are identical with those of Casuarina in 

 consisting of one stamen always anterior, differing only in having 

 two sepals instead of four; for although the flowers are not op- 

 posite, there is a decided tendency to form whorls consisting of 

 three or four ; and the male flowers of Hedyosmum correspond 

 as far as consisting of a single stamen anterior, but are entirely 

 naked, and without even subtending bractese. The monadel- 

 phous filaments of Chloranthus, also, may be analogous to those 

 of some species of the Myricacese, where three stamens occur, 

 one of them being anterior and two lateral, although the union 

 of the filaments is much less complete. In the female flowers 

 the approximation is shown by the sepals being two or three, 

 and either free* or adherent, as in Myrica, the ovary also in 

 Hedyosmum having the same structure as in that genus ; and 

 even the enlarged lobe of the stigma of H. arborescens may 

 be compared to the elongated lobe always anterior occurring 

 among the species of Lacistema. 



* It seems impossible that the two lateral scales present both in the 

 male and female flowers of Ascarina can be bracteae, because if they were, 

 scales like thiem would most probably occur in the other genera, which 

 show no trace of them, particularly as this genus is much like the 

 hermaphrodite genera, A. lucida having a gland in front of the ovary, 

 aj)parently representing the stamen. 



