232 Plafits and their Ways in South Africa 



stamens bending toward one side of the flower. The 

 scalloped disc is surrounded by the stamens. Flowers 



purple. 



Of even more interest than the flowers are the gay clusters 

 of balloon-like fruits, hanging purple and yellow and red among 

 the narrow evergreen leaves. Such bright little lanterns are 

 just the thing for lighting 

 Christmas trees. The leaves 

 come from clusters of dwarf 

 cushion-like branches. 



Melianthus may be mis- 

 taken for Aitonia from the 

 similarity of the inflated fruit, 

 but the leaves are compound, 

 the petiole usually winged be- 

 tween the pinnae. The flower 

 has from 4 to 5 stamens. A 

 horseshoe - shaped disc lies 



Fig. 231. — Stamens ahd pistil of Oxalis. 

 (Fiuni Edmonds and Rlarloth's " Ele- 

 mentary Botany for South Africa.") 



Fig. 232. — Aitonia capensis (the 

 " Christmas Tree "V 



between the stamens and petals. During flowering the flowers 

 turn on their axis halfway around. M. dregeana has a woody 

 capsule. 



Ptseroxylon (Sneeze wood) and Sapindus (Wild Plum) 

 belong to this order. Sneezewood furnishes beautiful wood, 

 which takes a polish like mahogany. 



