i88 THE STORY OF PLANT LIFE 



They are trees or shrubs. A few are climbing or 

 trailing plants. Serial buds occur in the leaf-axils. 

 The leaves are simple, opposite or alternate, three- to 

 five-nerved, with small stipules. 



The flowers are in cymes, frequently corymbose. 

 They are small, hermaphrodite, or rarely unisexual, 

 regular, green or yellowish as a rule. In some cases 

 the flowers are apetalous. The calyx is gamo- 

 sepalous, with four to five sepals, inferior, valvate in 

 bud, deciduous, and the calyx-tube is leathery. The 

 petals are five or four, small, concave, clawed, hooded, 

 or absent, inserted on the throat of the calyx. The 

 stamens are hypogynous, four to five, alternate with 

 the sepals, opposite, the petals inserted with them, 

 the latter sometimes enclosing them. The anther- 

 stalks are awl-shaped. The anthers are small and 

 versatile. 



There is a large annular or cup-shaped disc. It 

 may coat the calyx-tube. The ovary may be united 

 to the receptacular tube or free from it, and is 

 superior or half-superior, two- to four-celled, sur- 

 rounded by the fleshy disc in which it is sunk, not 

 stalked. The styles are short, simple orthree-lobed, 

 with terminal stigmas. The fruit is dry, and sphts 

 up into mericarps, dehiscent or not, or is a drupe 

 with one or more stones. It may be united with the 

 calyx-tube. There are several seeds, sometimes pro- 

 vided with an arillus. 



The flowers are heterostylic in the common type, 

 the plant being dioecious. They are complete in the 



