346 138- VITACEAE 



small, entire or lobed. Petals 3 — 7, sometimes cohering at the base or at the 

 apex, valvate in bud. Stamens as many as and opposite to the petals, inserted 

 outside the hypogynous, sometimes indistinct disc. Anthers opening inwards 

 by two longitudinal slits. Ovary 2 — 8-celled, seated upon the disc or more or 

 less sunk in it. Ovules solitary in each cell or two side by side, ascending, 

 inverted, with ventral raphe. Style simple, sometimes indistinct. Stigma 

 entire or 2 — 4-lobed. Fruit a berry, usually septate. Seeds v/ith a bony or 

 crustaceous testa and a fleshy or cartilaginous, more or less ruminate 

 albumen enclosing a small straight embryo. — Genera 5, species 200. 

 {AMPELIDEAE.) (Plate 89.) 



1. Filaments united with one another and with the petals. Ovary 3 — 8- 



celled, with i ovule in each cell. Erect shrubs or trees, without tendrils. 

 Leaves i — 3 times pinnate. — Species 3. Tropics. They yield veget- 

 ables, edible fruits, dyes, and medicaments, and serve as ornamental 



plants. [Subfamily LEEOIDEAE.] Leea L. 



Filaments free from each other and from the petals. Ovary 2-celled, with 

 2 ovules in each cell. [Subfamily VITOIDEAE.j 2 



2. Flowers polygamous-dioecious. Petals 5, cohering at the top and falling 



off together. Disc 5-lobed. Style very short, conical. Seeds pear- 

 shaped, with two pits on the ventral face. Climbing shrubs. Leaves 

 more or less distinctly 3 — 5-lobed. Inflorescences paniculate, often with 

 tendrils. — Species i {V. rinifera L., grape-vine). North Africa, also 

 cultivated in other regions. It yields edible fruits, also used for preparing 

 wine vinegar and brandy, oily seeds, and medicaments. 



Vitis Tourn. 

 Flowers hermaphrodite or polygamous-monoecious. Petals usually spread- 

 ing at the time of flowering, very rarely cohering at the top, but then 

 only 4. Seeds more or less egg-shaped 3 



3. Style short-conical or wanting. Petals usually 5. Disc ring-shaped. 



Seeds egg- or boat-shaped. Climbing shrubs. Inflorescences with 

 tendrils. — Species 30. Tropics. Some have edible fruits. (Under 



Cissns L. or Vitis Tourn.) Ampelocissus Planch. 



Style filiform, or columnar, usually rather long. Inflorescences mostly 

 without tendrils 4 



4. Petals 5 or 6, very rarely 4 or 7, thickened, fleshy, persistent. Disc adnata 



to the ovary. Style usually short. Climbing shrubs. Inflorescences 

 compact. — Species 15. Central and South Africa. (Under Cissns L. 

 or Vitis Tourn.) Rhoicissus Planch. 



5. Petals 4, not thickened. Disc usually saucer-shaped, 4-lobed and adnata 



to the ovary at the base only. Style usually long. — Species 150. 

 Tropical and South Africa and Egypt. Some of them yield edible fruits or 

 tubers, mucilage, or medicaments. (Under Vitis Tourn.) (Plate 89.) 



Cissus L. 



