ANONACE.T.. 



207 



variable number of stamens inserted in a spiral, either all fertile, con- 

 sisting of an elonp^ated or lanceolate blade, to the outer face of which 

 are applied the two parallel anther-cells, or else the innermost 

 sterile and reduced to imbricated petaloid staminodes (fig. 241).' 

 The carpels are indefinite : each ovary, surmounted by a style of 



Anaxarjorea acuminala. 



Fig. 2-tl. 

 Diagram. 



Fig. 242. 

 Fruit deliiscing {\ 



variable length,- encloses two ovules inserted on the inner angle at 

 a variable distance from its base ;■■* they are ascending, with the 

 micropyle external. The fruit consists of a variable number of 

 follicles that open along the inner edge (fig. 242). They often end 

 in a point and taper into a long foot at the base ; and contain one 

 or two smooth seeds,^ in which the embryo occupies the apex of 



(^Xylopia prhioides Diry., Mon., 122, t. 15) and 

 javanica ]}l. But tlie inner petals of the for- 

 mer species are thicker and more fleshy, with 

 valvate, slightly bevelled edges. In some Ame- 

 rican species the thickness of the corolla be- 

 comes considerable. That of A. acuminata A. 

 S. H. {A. brevipes Speuce) especially has the 

 inner petals very much developed, coriaceous, and 

 as thick as they are broad towards the summit. 

 Towards the base of each is a deep hollow on the 

 inner face which contributes to form a chamber 

 for the sexual organs, thus assuming nearly the 

 shape of a sabot ; but this face is flat above, where 

 the transverse section of the petal is nearly an 

 equilateral triangle. In Rhodocarpiis on the 

 contrary the inner petals are thinner and nar- 

 rower than the outer ones ; but these points of 

 dissimilarity are not of generic importance. 



' It is just on the presence or absence of these 

 that are founded the subgenera AnaxantJius and 



Afjoranthus, the former having all its stamens 

 fertile, and the latter " Stamina intima elongata, 

 apice torla, antheris parvis effoetis." But those 

 are wrong who with ExDLiCiiEit (Joe. cit.) would 

 limit this latter section to the Asiatic species ; for 

 A. acuminata A. S. H. has well developoil petaloid 

 staminodes within the fertile st imens ; they are 

 oblong flattened imbricated blades. 



- It is sometimes narrow and elongated, some- 

 times swollen, or bent like a plume, and covered 

 with stigmatic papilla? over the whole of the 

 convex surface. 



•* Those of A. prinoides are nearly collateral 

 and basilar ; those of A. acuminata are placed 

 one above the other, nearly half way up the inner 

 angle. 



•• When there are two they are closely ap- 

 plied to each other over a large plane surface. 

 When there is but one seed, both its faces are 

 convex. 



