The Mangrove and its Allies. 69 



The number of stamens are from sixteen to twenty-eight, and 

 are placed as in Kandelia, in pairs, opposite the petals, and each 

 petal is folded so as to form a hiding-place for the filament. 

 The ovary has from two to four cells, each cell containing two 

 ovules. The fruit being inferior, and the calyx persistent, it 

 remains at the apex of the fruit ; and when germination takes 

 place, it is simply pushed away from the centre to make room 

 for the young radicle. In this genus the roots are thrown up 

 from below all round the root, as shown in plate. 



The internal structure of the main root of the mangrove 

 (Rhizophora Mangle, L.), as shown in a cross section, differs from 

 that of the radicle. A good idea of the former may be li id 

 from Fig. 4, the outer and the central parts of which are 

 masses of reddish brown fibrous tissue, while the ring is a very 

 white, hard, woody substance, with clear and distinct rays 

 crossing it in a direct line. A section of the radicle shows in 

 the centre a mass of loose fibre surrounded by woody tissue, 

 made up of silky fibrous bundles, the whole of a similar 

 colour to the true root. The outer covering is composed of 

 fine bundles of close, hard, woody fibre, arranged more or less 

 regularly parallel. 



The root of Brugueira shows in a cross section (Fig. 5) a 

 similar arrangement to that of Rhizophora, except that the 

 portion between the outer epidermis, or cuticle, and the ring of 

 wood, is composed of thin paper-like divisions, regularly 

 arranged, instead of an indiscriminate mass of fibrous tissue. 

 These divisions, as will be seen by the figure, are very evenly 

 placed, radiating from the centre. The appearance of one of 

 these papery walls under the microscope is very singular and 

 beautiful, presenting a mass of fine, glittering, scale-like 

 markings. 



DESCRIPTION OF THE PLATE. 



FIG. 1. Mangrove tree, Rhizophora Mangle, L. To the 

 right is seen a tree of Brugueira sp., showing its singular 

 manner of throwing up its roots. 



FIG. 2. Germinating fruit and portion of the radicle of 

 Rhizophora Mangle, L., showing the inferior calyx. 



FIG. 3. Germinating fruit and radicle of Brugueira sp., 

 showing the superior calyx. This is here represented as being 

 reflexed, having been drawn from a dried specimen. It stands 

 erect when fresh. 



FIG. 4. Cross section of root of mangrove, Rhizophora 

 Mangle. 



FIG. 5. Cross section of root of Brugueira sp. 



