600 



BOTANY 



PAKT II 



The young leaves are of a bright red colour, and, as in many tropical trees, hang 

 limply downwards. The flowers are borne on the main stem or the older branches, 

 and arise from dormant axillary buds (cauliflory). Each petal is bulged out at 

 the base, 'narrows considerably above this, and ends in an expanded tip. The form 

 of the reddish flowers is thus somewhat urn-shaped with five radiating jioints. 

 The pentalocular ovary has numerous ovules in each loculus. As the fruit de- 

 velops, the soft tissue of the septa extends between the single seeds ; tlie ripe fruit 

 is thus unilocular and many-seeded. The seed-coat is filled by the embryo, which 

 has two large, folded, brittle cotyledons. Cola acuminata and C. vera, natives of 

 tropical Africa, yield the Kola nuts which are used in medicine. 



Official. — Theobroma, Cacao, from which oleum theobromatis is obtained. 



Order 15. Gruinales 



The flowers of the majority of the plants belonging to this order 

 are hermaphrodite, pentamerous, and radially symmetrical, with a 

 superior, septate ovary. K 5, C 5, 

 A 5 + 5, G (5). When the flowers are 

 zygomorphic they frequently exhibit 

 reduction. Stamens coherent at the 

 base, obdiplostemonous or haplostemon- 



.4 B 



Fio. 00-i. — FloraUUagramsol'Geiauiaceae. A, Geranium 

 prutense ; B, Pelargonium zonule. (After Eichler.) 



Fiu. OOo.— Fruit of PWcn-goiiiwm uiqiii- 

 nans, x 3. (After Baillon.) 



ous. Nectaries to the outer side of the stamens or as an annular 

 disc within the stamens. Ovules, usually pendulous ; micropyle 

 directed upwards. 



Family 1. Geraniaceae. — Herbs or small shrubs with, as a rule, alternate, 

 stalked, palmately veined leaves. Flowers conspicuous, solitary in the leaf axils 

 or forming cymose or umbellate inflorescences. They are usually actinomorphic ; 

 in Pelargonium zygomorphic and provided with a spur. Stamens 10 or 5. Two 

 ovules in each loculus. When ripe the five beaked carpels separate from a central 

 column, and either open to liberate the seeds, or remain closed and by the hygro- 

 scopic movements of the awn-like portion buiy the seed in the soil (Figs. 602, 603. 

 Cf. Fig. 224, p. 296). Distributed over the whole earth. 



Geranium with ten stamens and Erodium with live fertile and five sterile 

 stamens occur in liritain. Xumerous species of Pclarijoniuni from tlie Cape are 



