142 



NATURAL mSTORY OF PLAXT.^. 



Schizandra coccinea. 



FlO. 181. 



Ijongitudinal section of female flower. 



under the name o^ Sc/Nznndrn.^ The male flower (fig. 179) bears a 

 perianth of about nine unequal imbricated leaves on the convex 



receptacle, which often appear to 

 form trimerous verticils/ but 

 present no distinction of calyx 

 and corolla. The stamens, few 

 in number (usually from four to 

 six), are inserted in a spiral. 

 The filaments are short and 

 thick, assuming the form of a 

 broad fleshy scale, triangular, 

 but with the angles rounded off. 

 One of these angles is inferior, and gives insertion to the stamen ; 

 the two others, superior, bear the two widely-separated anther-cells. 

 These cells dehisce by longitudinal clefts,^ and are introrse, being 

 almost entirely applied to the inner face of the triangular filament, so 

 that in their normal position only a small part of their summit is seen. 

 In the female flower (figs. 180, 181), the perianth and receptacle are 

 as in the male flower, and the gyna3ceum consists of a large number 

 of free carpels, inserted spirally on the somewhat swollen head of 

 the receptacle, and crowded into a globular head. Each of these 

 consists of a unilocular ovary, tapering above into a style scarcely 

 dilated at the tip.^ Externally corresponding to the ventral angle of 

 the ovary, is a projection or crest, varying in size according to the 



gents a marked einargination at the summit, at 

 the bottom of which is a small subulate process — 

 the sole remnant of the summit of the petiole and 

 blade, 'lliis bract then is wholly formed by the 

 stipules which do not separate from the petiole. 

 The sepals are probably of the same nature. 



' Flur. lior.-Amer., ii. 218, t. 47 (1803).— 

 Hook., liot. Ma;f., t. 1113.— DC, rrodr., i. 

 lOi.— Kndi,., Gen., n. 4733.— 11. II., Gen., 19, 

 n. 8. — A. CfiJAY, Mem. Amer. Acad., vi. 380; 

 Gen., 57. — H. 15n., Adansonia, iii. 42; vii. 

 10, 66. 



■'' There are from seven to ten leaves, but 

 it is a mistake to consider that tlu-y are ar- 

 ranged in ternary whorls. With nine leaves it often 

 BO hajipens llial tlie tlirt-i- innirmost are opposite 

 to, and the three niiddlc (tncs alternate with, the 

 three oiitermoHt. Hut often, again, this superposi- 

 tion and alternation arc not exact. We Imvo 

 here to do with one continuuns spiral. 



' These clefls often appear transverse or oblinue 

 owing to the direction of the antlier cell, but are 

 really longitudinal. If we follow out the de- 



velopment of the androceum in S.japonica, wo 

 see that the two cells are at first nearer the 

 vertical and closer together. It is only by degrees 

 that the connective and the top of the filament 

 are simultaneously thickened to assume the form 

 of a fleshy wetlge 8ei)aniting the anther cells from 

 cno another. The pollen is nearly similar in S. 

 propinqua and japonica. The grains appear 

 discoidal at first sight, at least when dry ; for 

 moisture renders them spheroidal. The disc is 

 much depressed in the centre on both faces, and 

 the edge presents six notches alternately sludlow 

 and deep. The three latter notches etirivsjvind 

 with the ends of as many clear Ixinds radiating 

 from the central dejjression, while the other three 

 indicate thepointswhere theixdlen tubi-s protrude. 

 The analogy of this |K)llen with that of Urimt/* in- 

 clines us to admit that wo have here to do with 

 an aggregation «)f three elementary |)»>llen grains. 

 (See Complra Rendun </<■ I'Acud. det .Vc, Ixvi. 

 700; Adansotti(i,\i\\. 157.) 



* Sue figs. IKO, IHl. In S. japomica, on the 

 contrary, tho summit of tho short style ia tome. 



