400 MORPHOLOGY OF THE ANGIOSPERMS 



to the top of the marginal opening, but the method of entrance of the 

 tubes is unknown.) The ruminate endosperm is characteristic of several 

 ranalian families. The xylem and phloem are primitive; only the vessel- 

 less genera have more primitive wood, and only the companion-cell-less 

 Austrobaileya has more primitive phloem. 



There is advanced structure, however, in the perigyny of the flower, 

 with connation of carpels and the bases of stamens and staminodes, 

 and in the multilacunar node. The perigynous condition, related to the 

 concave form of the receptacle, brings all the appendages closely 

 together. 



A resemblance of Ewpomatia to Calijcanthus, another primitive ranal- 

 ian genus, is suggested by the concave receptacle, but similar receptacles 

 are present in other orders, especially the Rosales. The presence of 

 a tanniniferous tube system and ruminate endosperm suggests possible 

 relationship to the Myristicaceae, and the presence of staminodes above 

 the stamens and a solitary protective bud scale, to the Himantandraceae. 

 The Eupomatiaceae are an isolated family, probably very old, with 

 no surviving close relatives. 



Himantandraceae 



The Himantandraceae, a small Australian family, consists of the 

 genus Himantandra, with two species. The flowers are large, solitary, 

 and terminal on short shoots, which may also bear one or two lateral 

 flowers. The perianth has been interpreted in two ways: (1) as con- 

 sisting of a calyx of two calyptrate sepals and several stamenlike petals; 

 (2) as made up of a single, scalelike sepal, enclosing a whorl of four 

 connate petals, with petaloid staminodia above. Anatomy supports the 

 second interpretation. The stamens are laminar, narrow, and without 

 distinction of anther and filament. The microsporangia are low down and 

 sunken in the abaxial side of the sporophyll. The numerous staminodia 

 are borne both above and below the stamens. The several carpels, 

 spirally arranged, are differentiated into ovary and a "stigmatic style," 

 a somewhat plumose distal part, with a decurrent, papillose surface. 

 Slight syncarpy in the flower becomes strong in the fruit. The anat- 

 ropous ovules are reduced to one or two at the base of the carpel. 

 Peltate scales cover much of the plant. 



In anatomy, the flower somewhat resembles in complexity that of 

 Magnolia, with cortical bundles, which anastomose frequently and in 

 various ways with the traces of the appendages. The calyx, of one sepal, 

 seems to have several traces — like the calyptra in Ewpomatia. The 

 stamens, carpels, and, apparently, the petals have three traces. The 

 wood is specialized. Its vessels are transitional from scalariform to 

 simply perforate, and the lateral tracheary pitting is alternate. 



