XLVIII. HALOEAGE.E, 107 



on the inner face. Fruit 4-lobecl, of 4 nut-like carpels. — Fl. 

 Cap. ii. p. 572. 



Watei" plants, witli opposite or whorled leaves, the submerged ones pec- 

 tinate-pai'ted. Flowers in terminal leafy spikes, or axillary. — M.spicatum, 

 Linn., a widely-distributed species, occurs in several South African rivers. 



Order XLIX. BALANOPHORE^. 



Flowers unisexual, in dense heads spikes or panicles. — 

 Male : Perianth 3- parted, valvate in bud, or 0. Stamens 1-3, 

 opposite the segments of the perianth. — Female : Perianth 

 epigynous 3-lobed or obsolete. Ovary inferior, 1-celled ; ovule 

 solitary, pendulous ; styles filiform, 1-2 or 0. Fruit dry or suc- 

 culent, indehiscent, the seed filling the cavity. Embryo very 

 minute, in fleshy or friable albumen. — Fleshy, fungous-like 

 root-parasites of hot countries. Leaves represented by fleshy, 

 coloured scales. Flowers either bracteate, involucred, or 

 naked. 



Flowers monoecious, in dense bracteate spikes . . 1. Mysteopetalon. 

 Flowers dioecious, the males panicled ; females con- 

 crete, in globose heads 2. Saecophtte. 



1. MYSTROPETALON, Harv. 



Flowers monoecious, in dense bracteate spikes. — Male : Pe- 

 rianth 3-parted, 2-labiate, the segments Avith long claws and 

 spathulate limbs, valvate in bud, the 2 posterior connate. 

 Stamens 2, opposite to and inserted on the posterior segments, 

 conniving ; anthers 2-celled, extrorse, opening longitudinally ; 

 pollen cubical. — Female : Perianth epigynous, tubular, 3- 

 toothed. Ovary seated in a cup-like, fleshy disk or recep- 

 tacle, 1-ovuled ; style filiform, exserted, deciduous ; stigma 

 capitate, 3-lobed. Fruit subtended by the unchanged recep- 

 tacle, with a thin, juicy epicarp, and a crustaceous endocarp, 

 1-seeded. Embryo very minute, in the base of easily-friable 

 albumen. — Fl. Cap. ii. jo. 573. 



Stem simple, fleshy, densely imbricated with linear-spathulate scales, 

 ending in a dense spike of flowers. Female flowers in the lower, males in 

 the upper part of tlie spike. Bracts 3 under each flower, 1 anterior, 2 lateral. 

 Bracts orange. Flowers bright red. — 2 species : M. Polemanni, from How- 

 hoek Pass ; M. Thomil, fi-om Caledon Baths. 



2. SARCOPHYTE, Sparm. 



Flowers dioecious. — Male flower panicled ; perianth 3-lobed, 

 valvate in bud. Stamens 3, opposite the lobes ; filaments free ; 

 anthers multilocular. — Female flowers in globose heads, densely 

 crowded. Perianth 0. Ovary seated on a subglobose common 



