Ansiosp : Dicnt : Gamopet : Bicaipellatae. X. 



BICARPELLATAE of Gen. Plant. (1876), a convenient assemblage of 

 meiocyclic Gamopetalae (the main series), with • superior ' ovary and of ' hypogynous ' 

 construction of the type : — sep. 5, pet. 5, stamens 5, gynoecium of 2 median carpels, 

 syncarpous. The flowers present a great range of floral mechanism and fruit- 

 elaboration, and the section is largely separated into families and groups by conspicu- 

 ous features of somatic organization (e.g. opposite leaves), and the construction of the 

 cr\'noecium in terms of placentation, as also leading to diff"erent types of fruit-formation : 

 the last may range from dehiscent ' follicles ' to capsules and indehiscent achenes, 

 schizocarps and cocci, berries and drupes. Families with opposite leaves and actino- 

 niorphic' flowers may be taken first, as most readily identified by such obvious 

 features : cf. : — 



Oleaeeae (20/390), founded on Oka (Olive) of S.Europe, extended to Frti.xiiitis. 

 Synnga, Ligustnim, Osmanllms, Jasminum (Hort.), distinguished by flowers ranging 

 to tetramery, and in the limit apetaly (Ash), but the androecium remains constant at 

 2 stamens alternating with 2 carpels of the gynoecium, syncarpous with 2 ovules per 

 loc. Fruit a capsule (Syringa) or berry {Ligtislrum), i-seeded samara {Fra.xi'iws) ; 

 including representative species as small trees and shrubs of hill-districts. 



Salvadora persica. Mustard-tree, of Salvadoraceae (3/9), a small tree, 30 ft., 

 of dry regions, cult., and as halophyte ; evergreen with coriaceous leaves. Flowers 

 greenish-white in lax panicles, tetramerous, stamens 4, ovary unilocular with i basal 

 ovule. Fruit a red drupe, i -seeded, with thin sclerocarp and pungent taste. Other- 

 wise put with Disciflorae. 



Apocynaceae (130/1000). a large family based on Apocynum of IMedit. region, 

 and extended to a wide range of tree-forms with usually opposite leaves, milky juice 

 (latex) and flowers with convolute corolla and tube-mechanism, commonly moth- 

 pollinated : the gynoecium of 2 carpels is fused distally in a common style-extension ; 

 these break away in fruit to give dehiscent ' follicle '-like pods (much in the manner of 

 Sterculia). Seeds commonly packed in the pods with silky hairs subsequently 

 utilized for wind-dispersal. 



Alstonia seholaris, large evergreen tree of dainp forest, leaves coriaceous, 

 flowers greenish-white, in compact long-stalked cymose clusters. Corolla-tube 8 mm. : 

 fruits slender pods, pendulous, 1-2 ft. ; seeds with fringe of hairs. 



Holarrhena antidysenterica, a small tree, common in deciduous forest, 

 often gregarious; flowers wliile, fragrant, i-iiin. diam. ; fruits slender pods, 8-14 in., 

 5 mm. diam., seeds with tuft of liairs (2 in.) at one end. 



Plumeria acutifolia of W. Indies, cult., very milky, leaves spirally arranged. 

 Flowers on bare stems, fragrant, large, white with narrow tube, and typical moth- 

 type of mechanism ; anthers at base of tube, 20 mm. from orifice. 



Wrightia tomentosa, a small deciduous tree, flowers brownish, i^ in. diam., 

 with red corona-growths. Fruit a rough pod, 6-12 in. long ; seeds linear, i in., 

 with fine silky coma packing the interior. 



Aschpiadaceae (217/1700), similarly with opposite leaves, latex, meiocyclic 

 flowers, and 2 carpel-pods divergent in fruil, pass on to elaborated mechanism with 

 coherent pollinia, retinaculum (' spoon ' or ' clip ') as sligmatic parts taking out 

 pollen from loculi of adjacent anthers. Fly- or moth-pollinated, of highest floral 

 organizalion in Dicots. ; cf Penploca (Hoi t.) spoon-lype, nectary on petals ; Aschpia.^ 

 (I:loit.)clip-ietmaculum t)'pe ; Ceropigia (Ilort.) as 'fly bottle' trap-type. No timber- 

 treey, but many shrubs and lianoid {Prriplocn), also herbaceous succulent {Slapelia). 



Loganiaceae (32/550) based on Logaiiia of Australia, covers the case of oppo- 

 site leaves, actiiiomorphic, meiocyclic flowers, no latex, and fruits as many-seeded 

 capsules, as a more generalized group with great range, hence liable to take in forms 

 not included in the more specialized families. Cf. Buddkia globosa of S. Amer. 

 (Ilort.), simple flow^ers in orange balls, 20 mm. diani. ; B. variabilis, violet spicate 



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