CV. THYMELEiEJ. 327 



9. GNIDIA, Linn. 



Calyx coloured, funnel- shaped ; tube jointed, deciduous 

 above the ovary ; limb 4-parted, regular. Glands or scales 

 4 or 8, inserted on the rim of the throat, exserted, petaloid or 

 fleshy, 2-lobed or entire, j^labrous or rarely tomentose. An- 

 thers 8, subsessile in the throat, the upper ones half-exserted. 

 Hypogynous ring obsolete or small. Ovary sessile ; style 

 lateral, equalling the tube ; stigma capitate. Nut in the base 

 of calyx. — DC. Prod. xiv. p. 580. 



Heath-like shrubs or undershrubs (rarely with broad leaves), with capitate 

 or spiked, rarely solitary and axillary, often involucred flowers. — 41 species, 

 dispersed. * 



10. LASIOSIPHON, Fresen. 



Character as Giiidia, except : Calyx with a 5-parted limb. 

 Scales 5, petaloid, glabrous, entire or 2-fid. Anthers 10. — DC. 

 Prod. xiv. p. 593. 



Shrubs with the habit of Gnidia, with terminal, often peduncled, invo- 

 lucred heads of flowers seated on a villous, convex receptacle. Base of 

 perianth very hairy with long hairs ; tube pubescent, glabrous within. — 12 

 South African species, mostly Eastern. 



Oedee CVI. LAURINE^. 



Flowers bisexual or unisexual, small. Calyx mostly free, 

 herbaceous or petaloid, usually 6-fid (rarely 4-9), the lobes 

 imbricating in 2 rows. Stamens perigynous, definite, in 3-4 

 rows, some (or all in the female flower) changed into glands 

 scales or petaloid membranes (staminodia), those of the outer 

 rows introrse, of the inner extrorse ; anthers adnate, 2-4- 

 celled, opening by valves. Ovary single, usually free, 1- 

 celled ; ovule solitary, pendulous ; style simple. Fruit fleshy 

 or dry, nude or enclosed in the enlarged calyx-tube. Seed 

 exalbuminous. — Chiefly tropical trees or shrubs, abundant in 

 Asia and America, very rare in Africa. Leaves simple, mostly 

 undivided and very entire, densely netted with veinlets, rigid, 

 without stipules. 



Suborder 1. Iiaurese. Forest trees or shrubs. 

 Anthers 2-celled. Fruit enclosed in the calyx-tube . 1. Cryptocaeya. 

 Anthers 4-celled. Fruit sitting in the cup-like base of 



calyx 2. Oreodaphne. 



Suborder 2. Cassytbese. Leafless, filiform, twining parasites. 

 Character the same as that of the Suborder .... 3. Cassytha. • 



