422 DiCOTYLEPONES. 



5-merons calyx, sepals united and valvate in the bud; petals 5, 

 free (often twisted in the bud) ; stamens GO e.g. : 10, in two whorls, 

 but one of these is more or less suppressed, often altogether want- 

 ing, or replaced by 5 staminodes, while the other (inner whorl) is 

 generally divided more or less deeply into a large number of anther- 

 bearing filaments. The filaments too (except Tiliacese} are united 

 into a tube, which, especially in the Malvaceae, forms a long column 

 in the centre of the flower, surrounding* the gynoeceum (Figs. 445, 

 448) ; in this case, which is the most pronounced, the filaments are 

 united into one bundle \monadelplious), in other instances, poly- 

 adelphous. The number of carpels varies greatly (2 to about 50), but 

 they are nearly always united and form a syncarpous multilocular 

 gynoeceum. The vegetative characters also closely agree, the leaves 

 are always scattered and generally stipulate ; all the green portions 

 very often bear stellate hairs, and the bark in all the 3 orders is rich 

 in tough bast. Mucilage is often present in cells or passages. 

 This family is connected with the Ternstroemiacese, from which it 

 is very hard to draw a sharp line of demarcation, and it is also 

 allied to the Cistacese and to the Gruinales. 



Order 1. Sterculiaceae (including Biittneriacege). This is, no 

 doubt, the least modified order, and one in which the stamens occur 

 undivided. Obdiplostemonous. The 10 stamens in two whorls 

 are most frequently united at the base into a short tube, and have 

 4<-locular, extrorse anthers. The calyx-stamens are nearly always 

 simple, tooth -like staminodes, situated on the edge of the tube, or 

 are entirely suppressed. The same relation is found, for instance, 

 in the AmpelidaceeD and Rhamnaceae, namely 5 stamens in front of 

 the 5 petals ; not infrequently the 5 stamens are doubled (Fig. 

 441). Unisexual flowers are found in Sterculia, Cola, Heritiera. 

 The corolla is often wanting, or developed in an unusual manner. 

 Each loculus of the ovary (generally 5) always contains more 

 than one ovule. Fruit a capsule. Androgynophore often present 

 (Helicteres; Sterculia, etc.). 



Herpiannia, Mahernia, Melochia, etc., have flat petals with twisted estivation ; 

 5 undivided stamens, which usually are but slightly united at the base, and 

 most frequently without staminodes. Thomaia ; Helicteres; Sterculia (free 

 follicles). Ihtobroina, Rulingia, Biittneria, Commersonia, Gnaziinia, etc., have 

 petals concave at the base, and terminating in a limb abruptly bent back, and 

 at the boundary between them most frequently ligular outgrowths, as in 

 certain- genera of the Caryophyllacese ; stamens 5-15- <x, anthers at the edge of 

 a short tube and 5 linear staminodes (Fig. 441). The Cocoa-tree (Theobroma, 

 Fig. 440 bears large, reddish-yellow, berry-like fruits, resembling short cucum- 



