COLUMNIFER.E. 



425 



of the inflorescence, and is a bud of the 2nd order, in relation to the vegetative 

 shoot. This bud is always found beneath the inflorescence on the branch 

 placed horizontally, and the winged bracteole is always found above it, a relation 

 which is connected with the fact that the 2 rows of shoots on the sides of a 

 branch are antidromous with regard to each other. The dichasium itself (Fig. 

 444) terminates with the flower (t) ; it has 3 floral-leaves (c, d, e), which soon 

 fall off ; c is barren : the other two bear flowers, or few flowered dichasia, or 

 unipared scorpioid cymes (indicated in the figure). The foliage-leaves are 

 folded in the bud upon the median line (1, 2, 3 in Fig. 444 are foliage-leaves 

 with their 2 stipules), the inner half is broader than the outer, and after unfold- 

 ing is turned away from the mother-axis (the position of the utw inflorescences 

 and vegetative buds is indicated in their axils on the figure). The cotyledons 

 on germination appear above the ground as large, lobed leaves. 



Of the other genera some have a bell-shaped, gamosepalous calyx, some have 

 no corolla, the anthers of some open at the apex (Aristotelia, Elaocarpus, etc.), 

 the majority have a capsule, some have berries, or drupes, some separate into 

 fruitlets, etc. Corchorus, Triunifetta (nut, with hooked bristles), Luhea, 

 Apeiba, etc. Spannannia is an African 

 genus ; 4-merous flowers ; fruit a 

 warted capsule ; filaments numerous 

 and sensitive to touch, the external 

 ones are without anthers and rnonili- 

 form above. The plant is covered 

 with numerous soft and stellate hairs, 

 and at the apex of the branches bears 

 several cyrnose umbels. 



POLLINATION in Tilia is effected by 

 insects, especially bees and Diptera, 

 which swarm round the tree tops, 

 allured by the numerous strongly- 

 scented flowers and the easily ac- 

 cessible honey (formed in the hollow 

 sepals). As the flowers are pendu- 

 lous, the nectar is protected from 

 rain ; and, iu addition, the inflor- 

 escence is more or less concealed 

 beneath the foliage-leaf. Self-pollination is impossible, on account of pro- 

 tandry. About 470 species (nearly all trees and shrubs) ; especially in the 

 Tropics, only a few being found in the temperate, none in the polar regions, or 

 in high mountainous districts. The inflorescence of the native species of Tilia 

 is medicinal. The wood is used for charcoal. The majority are used for timber, 

 and for the sake of the bast (" Bast," " Jute," the bast of Corchorus textilis, 

 Lilhea, and others). 



OrderS. Malvaceae (Mallows). The plants are easily re- 

 cognised by the scattered, simple, palminerved, most frequently 

 lobed, stipulate leaves, folded in the bud ; the perfect, regular, 

 hypogynous flowers, with gamosepalous , persistent, 5-merous calyx 



FIG. 444. Diagram of the inflorescence of 

 Tilia and the vegetative bud ; the position 

 of the leaves is indicated, and also the 

 position of the inflorescences, which de- 

 velop from their axils in the following 

 year. 



