XXXVII. STEECULIACE.E. 



285 



TREES or SHRUBS with soft wood, erect, sometimes climbing perennial or annual 

 (Ayenia) HERBS, pubescent with starred or forked hairs, often mixed with simple 

 hairs, rarely scaly. LEAVES alternate, sometimes simple, penninerved or palmi- 

 nerved ; sometimes digitate with 3-9 leaflets. Stipules free, deciduous, rarely folia- 

 ceous and persistent, very rarely (Lasiopetahim}. FLOWERS regular, $, or 



unisexual : inflorescence very various, usually axillary. CALYX usually persistent, 

 |j-4-3-fid, or of 5 free sepals, sestivation valvate. COROLLA 0, or PETALS hypo- 

 gynous, free, or adnate by their base to the stamina! tube, aestivation imbricate, 

 convolute or contorted. STAMENS very various ; filaments more or less connate into 

 a tubular or urceolate column : (1) staminal tube divided at the top into 5 teeth or 

 tongues (staminodes) alternate with the petals, and bearing in the intervals 

 between the staminodes l--2-5-oo anthers opposite to the petals, stipitate or sub- 

 sessile (Buttneria) ; (2) staminodes 0, anthers numerous, many-seriate, inserted on the 

 column from the middle to the top (Eriolcena), or 1-s.eriate at the top of the cup 



