146 



NATURAL mSTOUY OF PLANTS. 



tlie receptacle of the fruit also varies greatly in form, being some- 

 times ovoid or nearly globular, and sometimes long, cylindrical, and 

 branch-like, without making it in the least possible on that account 

 to parcel out the genus. The stamens are sometimes shaped like 

 fleshy wedges (figs. 187, 188), at others like narrow rods, more or 

 less free. Some of them may be reduced to staminodes of very 

 unequal size.' Thus understood, the genus Schizandra includes half 

 a score species, and by itself constitutes the series of Scliizandrca, 

 which may be defined as follows : MacjnoUaccce with unisexual 

 flowers, the perianth always imbricated, and the leaves always 

 exstipulate. 



III. ILLICIUM SERIES. 



The Aniseed-trees {lUkium; Fr. Badianicr) have regular, her- 

 maphrodite flowers. On the slightly convex receptacle are suc- 

 cessively inserted a perianth, androceum, and gynajceum, of free 

 elements, varying considerably in number, form, and colour, 

 according to the species. If we examine, for example, the flower 

 of I.parviformn^ (IJgs- 191-194), an American species much cultivated 

 in our conservatories, we find that the perianth consists of about 

 fifteen dissimilar leaves inserted on a spiral, the outer ones shorter 

 and more greenish, the inner ones on the contrary larger, thinner, 

 petaloid, and of a pale yellow colour ; but between them we find 

 every transition in texture and tint, so that it is almost impossible 

 to assign exact limits between calyx and corolla. All these parts 



anthers to all tlic species of both genera, for in 

 both iV. propinqtta and K. japonica they are 

 certainly introrse. 



' This fact is very marked in o species which 

 lias been for some years cidtivated in our con- 

 Bcrvatorii-s under the n.inie of Cosh(ea Cocrinea 

 (see Adanxonia, iii. 4), nii<l wliich is Kadsura 

 chinensis IIance (A', japonica HeNTH., Fl. 

 Jlongkon;!., 8, nee Din.). The receptacle of 

 the MiJile (lower is draw n out into a column, and 

 bears stauienK at some (listiince from each otlier 

 like little erect rtxls. The uppermost are sterile 

 and end in a point. The lower ones bear an 

 anther with two oblique cells. Tho top of tiin 



column is bare, and recalls the extremity of tho 

 spadix in certain Aroidce. Wo shall call this 

 species S. llanccana. 



■ L., Gni., n. Oil.— Adak.«., Fam. PL, ii. 304. 

 —Jv93.,Gen., 280.— Lamk.. Dirt., i. 351.— DC^ 

 S1/.1I., i. 410; ProJr., i. 77.— Si-acu, Suit. <) 

 JJiiJ'., vii. -139.— En 1)1... (ini., n. 47 W.~MiEns, 

 Conlrih., i. 142.— H. II., Gen., 18, n. 2.— li. Hn., 

 Adansonia, vii. 8, 07, 301 ; viii. 1. — Badianifera 

 L.. Mat. M,'d.. nid. 



3 Mil iix., Ftoi: lior.-Amer., i. 326. — Vknt., 

 11,,,-t. r,h., t. 22.— DC. Prodr., i. 77, n. 3.— 



Ml Kits, op.cit., 1'13, n. 5. — Cymboatemon Parti- 



foliu* Si'AOU, op. fit., 4-16. 



