98 



WILLIAM TRELEASE ON THE 



the dorsal suture^ and, at the sHghtest touch, their seeds are expelled in rapid sticcession 

 to a distance of several feet. In gathering O. corniculata, I have been surprised at the 

 sudden pattering of a dozen seeds against my face and clothing, while the capsule was 

 apparently still closed, and it was only on closely examining it that I could convince 

 myself that it was really dehiscent and empty, the valves remaining close together. The 

 mechanism Ijy which the seeds are expelled is quite unlike that of any other plant with 

 Avhich I am acquainted. In the rijiening of the seed the inner integument becomes firm 

 and hard, while the outer develops into a thick fleshy loose arilloid envelope, that nlti- 

 mately splits longitudinally on the side opposite the raphe, and, pressing iqjon the some- 

 what flattened sides of the seed, forces it out, much as a boy would snap an orange seed 

 from between his thumb and forefingei-. 



TAnLE V. O. KFXURVA. 



TAnLE VI, POLLE>f OF O. KECURV'A. 



BALSAMmEAE. 



Flowers irregular, 5-merous, usually unsymmetrical from the suppression of 2 sepals, 

 homogone; sepals and petals imbricate, deciduous; stamens 5, glands wanting; carpels 

 alternate Avith the sepals, sevcral-ovuled. — Balsam'maceae of continental writers; two 

 genera, one containing only a single species. 



' In § Biophylxim they separate stelhitely and open on the iniiei- .sutnre. 



