784 DIOECIA HRXANDRIA. PJtCetllX. 



A native of Beliar. Flowering time in the Botanic garden 

 the cold season. The seed ripens in April and May. 



Stem none in plants ten years old ; at this age when in flow- 

 er, the whole body of the plant, including the inflorescence, 

 but exclusive of the foliage, is of an ovate form, and not exceed 

 ing six or eight inches in height from the surface of the 

 ground. Leaves (J'ronds, L.) pinnate; from two to six feet long. 

 Leaflets in nearly opposite, rather remote fascicles ; the supe- 

 rior ones folded, slender, ensiform, and about eighteen inches 

 long; the lower ones small, straight, rigid, and ending in very 

 sharp, spinous points. Petioles (stipes) near the base flat, 

 towards the apex triangular, smooth. Male. Spathes and 

 spadix as in the female, hereafter described. Flowers alter- 

 nate, solitary, sessile, small, pale yellow. Calyx one-leav- 

 ed, triangular ; angles or lobes acute and unequal. Carol 

 ihree-petalled ; petals obliquely-lanceolate, acute, slightly 

 united at the base. Filaments six, very short, inserted into 

 the base of the corol. Anthers linear, nearly as long as the 

 petals. Pistil none. Female. ;S;9a//ies universal, axillary, 

 solitary, one-valved, about six inches long, with their base 

 rather below the surface of the earth, generally splitting into 

 two portions down the middle, on each side. Spadix ramous, 

 composed of many, simple, short, erect, flexuose branches; 

 all are smooth, and of a pale yellow. Floioers alternate, 

 solitary, sessile, in bractiform notches on the sides of the 

 branches of the spadix. Calyx cup-shaped, truncate, with 

 three obscure points at equal distances on the margin. Pe- 

 tals three, sub-rotund, thick and fleshy, concave, smooth. 

 JVectary a small, six-toothed cup, in which the germs sit. 

 Germs three, each one-celled, and containing a single ovulum 

 attached to the middle of the cell on the inside. Styles three, 

 recurved, small, and short. Stigma small. Drupe oval, 

 fleshy, small, smooth, of a bright red, of the size of a very 

 small olive, one-celled. Seed solitary, oblong, with a deep 

 longitudinal groove on one side. Embryo in the middle of 

 the back, or convex side of the seed. 



