178 THE STORY OF PLANT LIFE 



Box group, or the Spindle Wood group or Spurge 

 group. 



There are four species and three genera — Corema, 

 Empetnim, Ceratiola. These plants are found in the 

 Northern Hemisphere, and in the Andine region. 



The habit is heath-like, and the plants grow in the 

 same sort of habitat and have adaptations to the same 

 dry conditions. But these adaptations are largely 

 vegetative, and the floral structure is not like that of 

 the Heaths. The plants are shrubs, and evergreen. 



The leaves are bent over below, forming a cavity, 

 into which the stomata open, and are leathery, 

 alternate, without stipules. 



The flowers are in racemes ; the plants may be 

 dioecious or polygamous. They are solitary or in 

 the axils, on short shoots. They are regular, and 

 there is a perianth of six scales in two rows, with 

 six bracts, similar but smaller. There are three 

 sepals or bracts which are distinct, leathery, over- 

 lapping in bud. There are two to three petals or 

 sepals, hypogynous, distinct, not falhng. The 

 stamens are three, alternate with the petals, hypo- 

 gynous. The filaments are long, slender, persistent. 

 The anthers are two-celled, deciduous. The pollen 

 is compound. 



The ovary is rounded, three- to nine-celled. The 

 styles are short, with awl-like or swollen stigmas, 

 which are rayed. The fruit is a drupe with two to 

 nine stones, which are one-seeded. The seeds are 

 erect, with a very thin seed-coat. 



