102 



NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



CiirateUa^ (figs. 149, 150) is also very near Tetracrra; the herma- 

 phrodite flowers are more usually tetra- than pentamerous, and 

 consist of imbricate sepals ; petals also imbricated, and longer than 

 the sepals ; numerous hypogynous stamens whose filaments are bent 

 in the bud, and dilate towards the tip into a connective whicli bears 

 the two adnate anther cells, whose dehiscence is nearly lateral ;' and 

 two carpels which appear united along the lower part of their inner 

 angles — an appearance due to the very oblique insertion of their 

 bases on the faces of the dihedral angle formed by the central pro- 

 jection of the receptacle. Each ovary contains two collateral 

 ascending ovules, whose micropyles originally^ look downwards and 

 inwards. The styles are distinct, and, traversed by an internal 

 longitudinal groove, they are somewhat dilated in the stigmatiferous 

 portion. The fruit consists of two dry dehiscent* or indehiscent' 

 carpels, each containing one or two arillate seeds. This genus 



Davilla Kunthii. 

 Fig. 148. 

 Fruit in its indusium. 



Curatella americana. 

 Fig. ll'J. Fig. 150. 



Flower. Longitudinal section of flower. 



)nsists of climbing shrubs from Guiana," Brazil,^ and the neigli- 



frcqucntly wanting or reduced to iin insignificant 

 rudiment, so that tlie plant becouios polygamous. 

 There are usually two collateral n-scending ovules 

 in each ovary, with their micropyles downwards 

 and inwards. The umbilicus early bears a ru- 

 dimentary aril, which is afterwards well deve- 

 loped. 



' L. ficn., n. 67'J.— LtEFL., ex AD.iNS., i'«m., 

 ii. -ITjO — .li'HS., den., 28^.— DC, Frodr., i. 7(». 

 — Si'ACU, Suit, a Jhiff., vii. 417.— A. S. H., 

 J*l. U». Bnuil., t, xxiv.— Knul., (Jen., n. 4759. 

 — Wali'., Hep., i. 65. — I'l. 4. Tkian., Ann. 

 Sc. Nat., KIT. 4, xvii. 15, 23.— IJ. II., Gen., 

 12, M. 3.— II. H.N., Adaniionia, vi. 2H(). - 

 Pinzona, Maut. A. Zrcc, Flora (1H32), ii. 

 Heibl.. 77. 



^ The clefts are Honiewliat nearer the inner 

 than the outer luce : the connertivo is flattened, 



rectangular ; atul the filament is dilated below 

 the anther. 



^ Later the ovule under^m-s a slight twisting on 

 its vertical axis, turning the micropyle sideways 

 and oiitward.s, while the raphe apprmuhes that 

 of its neighbour. At the base of the ovulo 

 aj)pearsa small coUar-sh^iju'd thickening, the first 

 trace of the aril. 



^ The true Curatelln.i, of which C, anitricana 

 L. is the type, are marked by the very distinct 

 dorstd dehiscence of the carpels. 



' The incompleteness of the dehiscenco or ita 

 entire absence characterizes Pinzona, whicli 

 cannot be separated generically from Curatella 

 for this reason alone. 



« At 11I.KT, Gtiiau., i. 571), t. 232. 



" A. S. II., /'/. r*. Ifnisil., loc. rit. — Nktto, 

 Hill, not., Iti.-- Klilll.. op. rit., r.7, t. 15. 



