312 NATURAL HISTORT OF PLANTS. 



difference is that the extrorse anthers lack the acute prolongation of 

 the connective. The otlier, wliich has been longer known, has larger 

 flowers, but usually with the sexes separate ; it is called J. moxrkato} 

 (tigs. 360-3G5). The receptacle is like a sac, shallower in the male 

 flower. Towards its edges are inserted in a spiral a variable number 

 of imbricated, more or less petaloid leaves." Internally to these the 

 male flowers present an indefinite number of free stamens, inserted 

 nearly down to the bottom of the reccptacular cup, each consisting 

 of a filament possessing two lateral appendages at the base, and sur- 

 mounted by a truncate extrorse anther, each of whose two cells dehisces 

 by the lifting up of a valve. In the female flower the stamens are 

 only represented by some sterile imbricated scales internal to the 

 perianth.^ At the bottom of the cup^ are inserted numerous carpels, 

 whose unilocular ovaries are each surmounted by an acute style with 

 a sharp stigmatic summit, and covered with silky hairs (fig. 3G5). 

 The single cell of the ovary contains a nearly basilar ovule, whose 

 micropyle looks downwards and outwards. The fruit consists of a 

 large number of achcnes,* which are surrounded below by a large 

 woody capsule formed by the indurated receptacle. The pericarp 

 and a long point surmounting it, formed of piu't of the style that 

 has grown hard, are covered with long hairs, giving them a plumose 

 appearance. This pericarp is thin and membranous, closely applied 

 to the seed, which contains within its very thin coat a copious oily, 

 fleshy albumen, its base occupied by a small embryo with superior 

 divaricating cotyledons. The two known species of Afherosperma are 

 large aromatic trees from the east and south of Australia ; and A. 

 moachata is also found in Tasmania. The leaves are opposite, entire 

 or dentate ; the flowers are axillary, solitary or in simple or ramified 

 cymes ; in A. luoHcliuia each flower is accompanied by two opposite 

 bracts, whose edges are close together when young, and which form 

 a sort of calyx to the flower-bud (figs. 300, 3G1, 303, 301-). 



• Lauili... /-,<•. ri/.—A. DC, Prodr., luc.ril., si)eclivcly culled sepalsi and jHJtals in the Calif- 



67r>, n. 1. — Honk, v., Fl. Tnsm., i. A'2..—A. in- cantheef. 

 tegr{folium A. Cinn., ex Ti'L., loc. cil. •• ThcHc Bcalcs become fur more visible in an 



' They are urranged in two rows, not well iniiirepiated flower (as represented in (\^. 3<I3, 



marked out, it is true ; and as there are often .'<()!), after the iwrianth-leaves have fallen olV or 



eight leavt'R, the four outer ones are more like withered. 



HepuU, and the inner are better developed * This is much deeper here than in the male, 



and more peUl'id. In Hno, between these * In several sjK-cies of the jjeuus it would pro- 



we find almost the same |)rogre«sive disxiniilarity bably bo bettor to call them cjiryi>p»id», ua we 



as we do between the ll.nal appeiidaKes, re- have said in Adansonia, ix. lUG. 



