Angiosp : Dicot : Gamopetalae II. XI. 



EUCYCLIC GAMOPETALAE (Heteiomeiae of Gen. Plant., 1876), con- 

 ventionally including at least 3 distinct groups of divergent series of gamopetalous 

 construction with very characteristic features, classified as Ericales, Primulales, 

 Ebenales {Gen. Plant.). 



I. Ericales includeEricaceae(67 1350) with Rhododendreae and allied sections 

 in which the full eucyclic formula normally obtains, together with full number of 

 antipetalous carpels : minor irregularities are to be allowed for ; e. g. Erica may be 

 tetramerous, Calluna is only sHghtly gamopetalous, Vaccinum has an inferior ovary. 

 Porous dehiscence of the anthers and the general occurrence of ' trigger-mechanism ' 

 has continued the older term of Bicornes (Eichler, 1875). Arbutus Unedo aflfords a 

 typical arboreal example of ^/virrt-organization, with white bell-shaped flower, 

 10 mm., and succulent red berry-fruit, \ in. diam. ; cf. : — 



Rhododendron arboreum, a small evergreen tree of W. Himalya, at 5,000- 

 8,000 ft., semi-gregarious with Qiiercus incana ; garden forms and hybrids of similar 

 organization. Flowers deep crimson, shortly stalked in sub-globular umbel-like 

 coiymbs ; calyx rudimentary, corolla zygomorphic, with broad tube, horizontally pro- 

 jected ; odd petal posterior, spotted and grooved to nectary-lobes of disc ; anthers 

 dehisce by pores, in sternotribal series (5 + 5), pollen in tetrads, cohering in silky 

 threads ; pollination by moths, &c. : gynoecium syncarpous, with axile placentation, 

 many ovules (varying to 6-io-mery). Fruit an erected capsule, i in., dehiscing by 

 valves divergent from central placental shaft; seeds minute, i mm., winged. 



R. campaniilatum, evergreen shrub, densely gregarious at the upper limit of trees 

 (9,000-14,000 ft.): flowers purple in lax corymbs, long-stalked, similar m organization. 



II. Primulales, grouped around the European Primula, have been extended to 

 types in which the ovary presents similar construciion with ' free central ' placentation, 

 based on 5 carpels, with 5 antipet. stamens (Primulaceae, 28/500) : The Plumbagi- 

 naceae (10/260) include forms reducing to one ovule only in the ovary; zi. Plumbago 

 (Hort.), Armeria; while the IMyrsinaceae (23/1000) normally retain 10 functional 

 stamens, or 5 fertile and 5 staminodal. The ovary indicates 5 carpels with many 

 ovules. 



Aegieeras majus (Myrisinaceae), a small evergreen tree, 20 ft., gregarious in 

 Mangrove-forest, presents the viviparous habit. Flowers small, white, 10 mm., 

 actinomorphic, witli convolute corolla, 5 stamens antipet., the anther loculi transversely 

 12-15 septate. Fruits 1-2 in. long, curved like horns, i-seeded, the embryro 

 commonly germinating on the tree. 



III. Ebenales include more generalized residual groups, again falling into 3 

 divergent series as Ebenaceae (5-320), timber-trees with flowers much reduced and 

 commonly diclinous and apetalous ; Sapotaceae (31/600) trees with latex; and 

 Styracaceae (6/1 10) trees with resin; hence many economically important. 



Diospyros Ebennm (Ebenaceae), Ebony Tree of S. India, a large tree of dry 

 regions, commoner in Ceylon, duramen uniformly and inteiisel}' black and hard. 

 Flowers dioecious, tetramerous ; staminate small and clustered, with 4-toothed calyx 

 and S stamens with unequally paired anthers; carpellary flowers solitary in leaf-axils, 

 carpels 4. Fruit a sub-globular berry, i in. diam., in persistent woody cup of calyx, 

 5-8 seeded, with sweet pulp. 



D. mdanoxylon, common in deciduous forest, 50 ft., similar to D. lomentosa 

 (with broader leaves) Ebony Trees of N. India, duramen less uniformly black, more 

 or less gregarious in dry forest. Fruit i in. diam., )ellow, seeds 3-8 in sweet pulp, 

 taken by birds, bats, &c. Stamens simple and endosperm ruminated. D. Kurzii, 

 Zebra-wood of moist forests of Andamans, large evergreen tree ; flowers diclinous, 

 tetramerous, corolla 4 mm., velvety externally, fruits -| in. diam. 



Sapotaceae include remarkable tree-types with characteristic floral organization, 

 essentiallv eucyclic, but ranging to 4-6-8-mery, or with effect of multiple corollas by 



