210 NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



ascending ovules. In the two first-known species of tins genus, 

 B. alha'' and riridix; both from the same country, the carpels are 

 pluriovulate, but there are only three of them, while there are no 

 more than six stamens. Finally, of the small flowers of B. hctcrauiha^ 

 (figs. 243-247), which grows in the islands to the east of Africa, 

 some have also six stamens, of which three, the shorter ones, are 

 superposed to the interior petals. But in other flowers these three 

 are completely lost. Thus they only possess a calyx of three divi- 

 sions, three outer petals, three inner ones contracted at the base, the 

 three stamens answering to the outer petals, at the same time that 

 the gynfcceum is reduced to three carpels, usually uniovulate ; so 

 that the.se flowers present us with the greatest degree of simplifica- 

 tion as yet met with among Ano/iacece. 



Moreover, in this group, as in many others of the same order, 

 without any diminution of the number of pieces of the androceum, 

 those of the gyna'ceum may be reduced to a single one. This does 

 not appear constant in B. canescem t for the single biovulate ovary 

 observed in some of them is inserted laterally, on one side of the 

 receptacle, while the place for the other carpels remains unoccupied. 

 In B. G(iiidichand'uin(C (figs. 248-250), which we have made the type 

 of a particular section," the ovary of the single carpel forming the 

 gynaeceura is apparently terminal, which would seem to indicate 

 that it has been solitary the whole of its existence. Its ovules are 



llerh., n. 2G6S. In this species we have demon- the Mitrephorecr. Xevertheless, it is inseparahle 



«trat<?d that there are often more than twelve from the Old World -^?;>Aon«ea*. 



stamens, and from ten to twelve or fifteen car- ■• Si-nrcE, exs., n. 3519. — H. Bn., Adan. 



pels. There are some carpels with two ovules, son'ta, viii. 171. — Trigyneia ! canescens Hksth., 



and others containing as many as four. The Joiini. Linn. Soc, v. 70. In this species the 



aestivation of the corolla is certainly valvate. petals are all similar, short and concave. The 



The inflores<-ence usually springs from a sort of calyx is gamosepalous, with its three angles not 



excrescence on the wood of an old branch, whence prominent. The stamens may he as many as 



arise flowers of many successive generations. fifteen in number, and are pretty regularly ar- 



' A.S.H., l(M\ ril. The stamens are here six ranged on the receptacle. Tlie short hlamcnt 



in number, as in the following species. The is surmounted by a large fleshy lv)dy like an 



aiithtr-cells arc linear adnate, and almost mar- ehnigated cone, to the sides of which are a|>i)lied 



ginul. the two anthcr-ccUs close to the base. The 



- A.S H., lor. ril., t. 0. Here the carpels are ovary is surmounteil by a short refltxed style, 



sujierposetl to the outer petals. The inflorescence On tiie sides of the receptacle we see the placea 



of this s)(ecies pnticnUi remarkable {icculiaritiefi for the aborted carpels, 



(•ee Adanii(mia,\\\'\. lOi). * 11. Hn., Adansonia, viii. 183. 



■ H. Hn., Adiinnoiiui, viii. 17.3. The very • Sect. Krrmodrlphix (Sec Adansonin, lor. 



small flowers of this species are borne on rit.). Hkntham A. 11o<ikkii (Urn., 21), had 



very long capillary j)ednncles. Tlie carjiels, sup- already pointed out an Alp/ioiisra with n uni- 



j)orted on litlie slender feet, rarely contain two carpcll.iry gynnn-eum. There is no re.ison 



ovules. We have seen tliut the inner corolla of to S4>parate gejierically the species in which lliis 



this spec i en i* nlre;idy in »4)ine re-pects timl of (X-rnrs ; for in other I'.n.-ric L'r.«U|<H tlicn' an» 



