Cardiogyne.] cxxiiic. morace^e (Rendle). 25 



much as 5 in. in diameter; it yields a colouring matter somewhat resembling 

 fustic (Kirk ^c). 



Occurs also in South Africa (Delagoa Bay). 



4. DORSTENIA, Linn. ; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. PI. iii. 366. 



Flowers mona3cious, densely crowded on the surface of a more or 

 less flattened stalked receptacle. Perianths very short, more or less 

 connate, forming a fleshy layer covering the surface of the receptacle 

 and leaving pits in which the unisexual flowers are buried. Male : 

 Perianth bluntly 2-3-lobed. Stamens 1-3 ; filaments free, inflexed 

 in the bud. Ovary generally absent, sometimes rudimentary. Female 

 pits much deeper than the male, terminating in a projecting entire 

 narrow mouth. Ovary completely buried ; style lateral, projecting 

 through the mouth of the perianth above which it is more or less 

 deeply 2-fid, simple in section Kosaria. Ovule pendulous. Fruit 

 subglobose, with a thin somewhat fleshy exocarp, and a crustaceous 

 smooth or warted endocarp, which is ejected elastically when ripe by 

 splitting and contraction of the exocarp or remains embedded in 

 the receptacle. Seed with a thin testa ; albumen absent ; cotyle- 

 dons contortuplicate. — Generally low-growing herbs, sometimes 

 shrubby below, with ascending or erect leafy stems growing from a 

 slender perennial rhizome which in some species is thick and tuber- 

 like ; stem sometimes fleshy or much thickened, with leaves at the 

 lower nodes reduced to scales ; occasionally stemless, with long- 

 stalked leaves springing from a thick tuber ; rarely shrubs. Leaves 

 petioled, rarely subsessile, alternate, entire or with an irregularly 

 toothed margin, rarely lobed, often more or less acuminate ; stipules 

 lateral, narrow, generally caducous, sometimes persistent. Inflores- 

 cence solitary, rarely two or three together and then unequally 

 developed, on a reduced or suppressed lateral shoot borne in the 

 upper leaf-axils. Peduncle generally much shorter than the leaves 

 except in acaulescent species where it is elongated and may exceed 

 the leaves. Receptacle flattened, or shallowly saucer-shaped, or 

 becoming convex below, or sometimes turbinate, of very various 

 outlines, suborbicular, stellate, oblong, rhomboid, or angular, and 

 bearing few or many marginal bracts which vary in length from 

 small teeth to long arms (a few small bracts rarely present on the 

 sides of the receptacle), or several to many times longer than broad, 

 in which case the two terminal bracts are nuich longer than the 

 lateral or the lateral are absent ; rarely ebracteate. 



Species about 150, numerous in Tropical Africa and Tropical America, with 

 a few in Madagascar, Socotra and Arabia, and 1 in India. 



A. Style dividing into two longer or shorter arms. 



Receptacle with small scattered bracts on the convex 

 sides (section Nothodors tenia) : 



Leaves broadly oblanceolate to obovate 1. D. frutcscem. 



Leaves elliptic 2. D. ellipticn. 



FOREST RESOURCES 



