I 



^ 



Tabula 2813. 



WIELANDIA ELEGANS, Baill, 



EUPIICRBIACEAK. THbuS PliYLLANTIIEAK. 



W. elegans, BailL Etude Gen^.raU da Grouiye des Eiqyhorbiacecs 

 (1858), p. 5G8, t. 22, &, 6 10 (species unica). 



Frutex 3-inetralis (Home), dense ramusus, omiuiio glaber. Band 

 \ graciles, denium verruculosi, internodiis quain foliis brevioribus. Folia 



alterna, breviter petiolata, coriaeea, oblongo^anceolata, 4-8 cm. longa, 

 acuminata, acuta, basi cuneata vel rotundata, integerriuaa, venis incon- 

 spicuis, Flores unisexuales, in foliorum superiorum axillis fasciculatu- 

 racemosi ; raeemi 2-12-flori, folia subaequantes, nionoici, iloribus 

 1-4 terminulibua feujineis longe pedicellatis ; vel flores interduui 

 [ solitarii ; bracteae et bracteolae obsoletae. Flores mascnli circiter 



5 mm. diametro, pedicellis filiformibus usque ad I cm. longis ; calyx 

 «ilte 5-fidus, lobis rotundatis imbricatis quam petalis dimidio bre- / 

 vioribus ; petala 5, lata, emarginata vel breviter biloba ; discus alto 

 cupularis, obscure 5-lobus ; stamina 5, petalis alterna, lilamentis in 

 columnam crassam supra mediam connatis parte libera incrassati?, 

 antheris basifixis recurvis loculis parallelis longitudinaliter dehiscenti- 

 bus ; ovarii rudimentum columnam stamineam terminans, vertice 

 planum, inter stamina radiatim 5-Iobum, lobis 3-denticulatis. Flonan 

 ^emineorum calyx et petala maris, sed saltern duplo majora ; discus 

 cupularis, ovariuui usque ad medium cing(Mis ; ovarium Sdoculare, 

 stylis brevibus arete recurvis ; ovula in loculis gemina, pendula. 

 Fructns capsularis, depi-esso-globosus, 2-2' 5 cm. diametro, laevis ; 

 exocarpium tenue, coriaceum ; endocarpium lignosum, durum, ab 

 exocarpio demum solutum ; loculi bivalves, abortu mouospenui, valvis 

 omniuo deciduis columellam persistentem relinquentibus. Semina 

 nigra, laevia, trigono-ovoidea, exalbuminosa ; testa duplex, exterior 



tenuiter Crustacea, interior membranacea ; cotyledones carnosae, in- 

 aequales, plus minusve lubatae, interdum alte lobatae, lobis valde 

 uiaequalibus ; radicula minuta. — Savia ehgans^ MuelL Arg. in 

 Linnaea, vol. xxxii. p. 78 ; DC. Prodr. vol. xv. pars 2, p. 228. 



Seychelles : en allanfc a la foret noire, G. de Vide ; common in 

 Mahe and Praslin, J, Home, 415. Mahe ; Cascade Estate, //. 7\ 

 Tkomasset, 193. 



This is the plant referred to by Baker (Flora of Mauritius and 

 Seychelles, p, 291) as perhaps a species of Mesjnlodaphne. The fruit 

 and seed are here described and figured for the first time, and, like 

 several of the genera with which it has been associated, it has 

 exalbuminous seeds. Wielandia is also remarkable for the complete 

 pentamery of the floral whorls. All the figures are from Mr. Thomas- 

 set's specimens. — W. Botting Hkmsley. 



Fig. 1, a male flower; 2, disk and androcclum ; 3, a female flower; 4, disk and 

 Rynaeoiuin ; 5, longitudinal section of the same ; 6, cross section of the ovary ; 7, ripe 

 ^niit; 8, oue of the carpels after dehiscence from the inside; 9, side view of the 

 «amo; 10. seeds ; 11. seed from which part of the testa has been removed ; &Qciwn 

 o( A seed, showing an extra, thin lobe. Figures 7-10 natural she; the rest enlarged. 



