SPINDLE TREE 



309 



Sepals, petals and stamens 4 each ; the latter 

 alternate, and inserted at the margin of a 

 fleshy disc. Inflorescence an axillary di- 

 chasium. 



Euonymus europceus, L. , Spindle Tree (Figs. 123, 

 124). Shrub, with opposite leaves and quadrangular twigs. 

 Flowers small, greenish, protandrous, with exposed honey. 



Floral formula K^G^A^ G^), but sometimes polygamous. 

 Flowers with 4 calyx-teeth, petals and sepals. Petals 

 linear, greenish-white, cruciate, as are also the long alter- 

 nating stamens. Pollen whitish-yellow, ellipsoid or sub- 

 globoid, much warted and alveolate, up to 40 50 x 25 /x, 

 with 3 folds. Capsule 4-angled, 4-valved with about 

 4 white seeds. 



Fig. 124. Spindle Tree. A, flower; B, vertical section through the 

 ovary, disc, and base of the stamens; G, fruit, with one carpel and seed in 

 section (E and P). 



tt Flowers Rosaceous, the stamens about twenty ; 

 sepals and petals 5 each, the latter relatively 

 large, white, or pink and conspicuous. Ovary 

 not syncarpous. 



Pistil of one carpel only i.e. monocarpotis [For ( o ) 

 ripening to a single drupe. Calyx-tuhe cup- seep. 315.] 

 shaped; sepals deciduous. 



n Petals white. Drxipe fleshy and inde- [For 

 hiscent; stone hard, smooth or pitted but (ZZ7/Z7) 

 not lorinkled. Pollen large, ellipsoid, ^ '^' '^ 



