117. PROTEACEM. 



tube gibbous at the base, with free recurved tips. Stamens 4, 

 shorter than and adnate to the tepals on which they often appear 

 inserted, anthers erect, 2-celled, introrse. Hypogynous glands or 

 scales often alternating with the stamens. Ovary 1 -celled, often 

 oblique ; terminal style with thickened tip ; stigma terminal or 

 lateral. Ovules 1 or 2 or many and 2-seriate. Fruit various. Seed 

 exalbuminous, cotyledons often unequal, radicle short inferior or 

 lateral. 



A lai-fje family, of which over half the species are Australian and none indigenous 

 in our area ; only one genus {Helicia) is Indian. 



1. GREVILLEA, i?. Br. 



Trees or shrubs Avith variously- shaped, sometimes pinnatifid leaves 

 and regular or zygomorphic flowers paired in the axils of bracts of 

 elongated rarely contracted racemes. Perianth-tube straight or 

 dilated at the base and often recurved under the limb, tepals for a 

 long time connate. Anthers sessile. Ovary stipitate or subsessile 

 with 2 collateral laterally affixed amphitropous ovules. Fruit usually 

 follicular. Seeds 1-2 often winged. 



1. G. robusta, A. Cunn. The Silver Oak; Silky Oak. 



A large handsome tree with fern-like twice-pinnatifid leaves silvery 

 beneath and unilateral racemes of orange flowers with slender pedicels. 

 Follicle -6-75". 



Very commonly cultivated. Seeds freely. Fl. March-May. Native of eastern 

 Australia. 



FAM. 118. EL^AGNACE^. 



Shrubs or trees with numerous silvery or brown scales and alternate 

 or opposite entire exstipulate leaves. Flowers small or mod. -sized, 

 green, white or yellow, in axillary fascicles or cj^mes, regular, 1-2- 

 sexual, with tubular 2-6-cleft perianth, the lower part sometimes 

 thickened in fruit. Stamens adnate to the perianth-tube and twice 

 as many as the lobes or in the 2-sexual flowers as many as the lobes 

 and opposite to them, perigynous. Ovary free in lower part of tube 

 but closely invested, 1 -celled with filiform style and lateral stigma. 

 Ovule 1, basal, erect, anatropous. Fruit indehiscent enclosed in 

 the perianth-tube. Seed ascending with scanty or albumen. 

 Embryo straight axile ; cotyledons thick ; radicle inferior, 



1. ELJEAGNUS, L. 



Perianth-tube oblong or globose, constricted above the ovary, limb 

 valvately 4-cleft, deciduous. Stamens 4 on the mouth. Style 

 linear, included. Fruit a nut consisting of the lower often accrescent 

 part of perianth-tube or hypanthium as well as the developed ovary. 



1. E. latifolia, L. 



A rambling bush with strong straight or reflexed thorns below and 

 mostly elliptic leaves 2-4" beautifully silvery beneath, sec. n. about 



600 



i 



