4-merous ; stamens 4, alternating with lobed outgrowths of receptacle-cup ; ovary 

 with central placenta filling cavity, and rudimentary ovules. Fruit a small drupe, ^ in. 

 diam., with hard i-seeded sclerocarp, taken by birds. 



Loranthaceae (21/850), a group of hemiparasitic shrubs of tropical forest 

 {^Nuytsia of W. Australia, 30 ft., non-parasitic), leaves opposite, flowers trimerous, in 

 dichasial or triad-systems. Full type 3 -I- 3 perianth, 3-1-3 stamens, and gynoecium 

 of 3 carpels, but so reduced that there is now no ovary-cavity or ovules ; the embryo- 

 sacs arise in the fused parenchymatous tissue, or the cavity is indicated by mere slits 

 following the case of SaiUalum. The fruits specialize as bird-distributed ' fierries ', 

 the seeds being represented by masses of endosperm with included embryos : cf. 

 indig. Visctim alhiini (Mistletoe) as last northern stray, and Loranlhus, 300. 



Loranthus longiflorus, commonest Indian forin, a large parasitic bush on 

 Sal, Mango, and even Chir. Leaves broad and coriaceous, flowers in unilateral 

 racemes, perianth-tube to 2\ in. long, slightly curved, scarlet or orange, bird-pollinated, 

 with 5 free segments reflexed ; filaments inserted on perianth-tube, with anthers pro- 

 jecting, style 55 mm., to the level of the anthers; Berry oblong with viscid pulp, 

 ■g in., bird-dispersed in the manner of Mistletoe. Viscum album common on Olive and 

 Qiteicus Ih'x in N\V. hill-forest, dioecious and fly-pollinated. 



Arcevithobium minutissimum, a minute parasite on Pinus exceha, shoots 

 articulated, green, almost moss-like, \ in. ; another extreme case of reduction, 

 dioecious ; staminate flower with monothecic anthers on segments of perianth (4-5), 

 the carpellary flowers only just emerging from the bark. The smallest Dicot. plant. 



Proteaeeae (50/1100), a remarkably isolated family (Proteales, Engler, 191 2) 

 of trees and shrubs, characteristic in S. Hemisphere (Australia, S. Africa), a few 

 extending North {Helicia) of Malay and S. India, H. lancifolia, S. Japan, the farthest 

 North. Flowers of very uniform organization, very distinctive, usually 4-nierous, 

 with 4 stamens carried upon individual zones of growth with superposed perianth- 

 segs., and so appearing ' inserted ' on them. Gynoecium of a single superior carpel 

 (and so far an ancient apocarpous series), with many, few, or i ovule. The plants 

 commonly present extreme xeromorphic adaptations ; the flowers may be highly 

 conspicuous and bird-pollinated, the fruits massive woody pods. 



Grevillea robusta, Silky Oak of E. Australia, cult., a large tree with com- 

 pound leaves, bipinnately segmented. Flowers golden-yellow in clustered racemes 

 (3-4 in.) on short spur-shoots. Fruit a coriaceous follicle, | in., with 1-2 seeds. 



44 



