Gyrotxnia URTICACE/E 55 



Leaves alternate. 



Stigma penicillate-capitate. Shrubs or small trees. 

 Flowers sessile, thickly clustered on the rhachis, which 



becomes fleshy in fruit. Female perianth 2-lobed 1. Gyrotiinia. 

 Flowers stalked. Female perianth 4-lobed, becoming 



somewhat fleshy and enlarged in fruit 2. TJrera. 



Stigma very short, becoming hooked in fruit. Annual 



herbs 3. Fleurya. 



Stigma filiform. 

 Stigma persistent. 



Flower-clusters sessile in axils or forming a spike, 

 with small scarious bracts. Female flower with 



perianth. Shrubs or herbaceous 5. Bcelmieria. 



Flower-clusters sessile in axils, with large ferruginous 



bracts. Female flower without perianth. Shrubby 6. Phcnax. 

 Stigma not persistent. Female flowers geminate in 

 the same axil, each with a broad bract. Perennial 

 herb 7 . Roussclia . 



1. GYROTiENIA Griseb. 



Shrubs or small trees. Leaves alternate, entire, triplinerved ; 

 cystoliths fusiform, of various lengths, prominent, densely covering 



Fig. 17. G;/ro(ienia spicata ^Ve(i<l. 



A, Shoot bearing male spikes 



B, C, Male Hower. 



D, Part of shoot showing female spikes. 



E, Cluster of fruits. 



the upper surface of older leaves; stipules small, lateral, free, 

 caducous. Flowers dia^cious, sessile, densely crowded in clusters 

 more or less continuous, in axillary spikes or panicles. Male 

 flowers : perianth 4-})artite, segments imbricate. Stamens 4. 

 Ovary rudimentary. Female flowers : j)erianth small, 'J-lobed. 



