•238 



NATURAL mSTORY OF PL.l.VTS' 



belonging to South America. In tliis the flower and fruit are exactly 

 those of the Indian species, except that the six small outer leaves of 

 the perianth, all similar to one another, are a little broader at the 

 base, and that the sini:^le ovule in each ovary is inserted quite at the 

 base of the internal angle. 



As anotlier section of this genus PhcpanihuH, we also class those 



African plants which have been termed Pipfof^figma,^ for their flowers 



possess a convex receptacle," three large inner sepals 



veined like those of the Asiatic species of Phaan- 



fhiiH, and three outer petals that are much shorter, 



acute, and quite analogous to sepals, like those of 



lleteropetalum hrmilic/ise. The stamens, indefinite 



in number, have wedge-shaped anthers surmounted 



Ijy a truncate prolongation of the connective. 



The carpels, few in number, have styles that, 



as in Heteropdalum, swell into thick irregular 



stigmatiferous heads which all stick together. The 



Phn'anthmiieteropetaiu.. ^^^y diA'crencc of any valuc that we can state here 



Flower-bud. ^^ ^^^^^ ^^^^ ovulcs are uumcrous, and arranged in two 



vertical rows."* In this respect PiptoxfU/ma is to the 



American and Asiatic species of Phaantluis exactly what the pluri- 



ovulate species of Milima are to the uni- or biovulate species of the 



same group, and can no more be considered a distinct genus.' The 



two known species of this section have been observed in the western 



regions of tropical Africa. 



Thus constituted,* the genus Pliccanthiif< contains half a dozen 

 trees with alternate leaves, and flowers either lateral, or axillary to 

 leaves or bracts, solitary, or grouped into small cymes. 



Htyles are terminated by thick dilatations, 

 wiiich Jill Htifk tojjethtr to forma coiiunon head, 

 as in J'iptotliifma. The only species yet known 

 has been oWrved in lira/.il and (Suiana. 



' Ol.tV., Journ. J. inn. Soc, viii. 158, t. 2 ; 

 Ft. Trap. Aft., IH.— H. H., Gin., 'JG7, n. 25 a.— 

 II. 15>., Addii.wnin, viii. 3IH. 



' In /'. .^/'lArf-itrenjr Oliv., the part of the re- 

 reptacle th;it bean* the ear|)elH is slightly Ci)n- 

 cuvc. 



' This urranijenKnt is constant in the two 



known species. There are from three to five in 

 each row. 



* It is said (Oliv.. FI. Troy. Afr., 19) that 

 in the fruit of /'. pilusum Oi.iv., the oiriH-'is 

 cohuri! into n sinf^lo mass eontnining the seeds 

 surrounded by scanty pulp. 



* 1 1. Euphftiinthus. Ovules 1, 2 ven- 

 1 tr.d. 



2. lli'leropeliil m. ()vulol,sub- 



basilar. 

 \'6. Piptostignut. Uvules oo ,veutrml. 



PluranthuK 

 Sections 3. 



