23H NATURAL HISTOliY OF PLANTS. 



membranous, free, or cohering slightly below, and together have 

 exactly the appearance of an ordinary corolla (figs. 291, 292) ; while 

 the outer petals, of the same size, ibrni, and consistency as the sepals, 

 seem to form a second calyx, whose pieces alternate with those of 

 the first. True, analogy tells us that the three tongues which form 

 the second whorl of the perianth answer exactly to the outer corolla 

 of other Anonncccp. But at the same time all the external characters 

 of these leaves again show us how it is often impossible, nut to say 

 useless, to fix an}' absolute distinction between sepals and petals.' 

 But though this character possesses but little value in itself, it allows 

 us to distinguish the Millusca easily from other Aiionacece ; we may 

 in practice say of them that, instead of a single calyx and two 

 corollas, they have a double calyx and a single corolla. The 

 indefinite stamens, inserted in a spiral on the convex receptacle, 

 and shorter as they are lower down on it, have been long 

 known to us by the conformation of the anther ;- for this genus 

 has, as we have seen, given its name to the stamens CiiUed stamina 

 MUimearinii. The filament, short and narrow, is surmounted by 

 two extrorse cells dehiscing longitudinally, and above them by a 

 slightly conical projection of the connective (fig. 293). The carpels, 

 also inserted in a spiral, consist each of a unilocular ovary sur- 

 mounted by a conical papillose style, and containing either one or 

 two ascending ovules, whose micropyles look outwards and down- 

 wards, or more rarely an indefinite number in two vertical rows. The 

 multiple fruit consists of a variable number of umbellate, stipitate, 

 one-seeded, or, more rarely, many-seeded berries. Within the seed 

 coats is contained a fleshy ruminated albumen, with a small embryo 

 close to its apex. The genus Mi/i//.sa consists of small trees or 

 shrubs, with alternate leaves and solitary or cymose, axillary or 

 extra-axillary flowers, borne on peduncles of variable length. In 

 some spL'(;ics there are whole branches bearing none but male flowers. 

 We know half a score species from India,* Malaysia,' and even 

 Madagascar. 



In Miliii-sii [>roper the bases of the broadest })etals are llat. as in 



' Sec Adniiminia, viii. :»<•:». — Tiiw., Eiiitm. PI. Zri/l., li). — WalI'., Ahh. 



2 Sec j.p. 2U(), 201). iv. 74. 



» A. DC, he. eil—Hoxu., Fl. /..</.. ii. (W;^ * Mi,.., A'/, hul.- IS,il.,\. p. ii. 51 ; Anm. Mm*. 



(fr,„-ii,). lliM)k. tl TiK.MK., /•/. ;»./.. i. HT. Lv,id. l{ul.,\\.My \Vai.1'.../»iii.. iv. .VJ; iii. 5lt 



