98 FLOWERS. 



(52) Cusso Flowers. 



The pistillate inflorescence of Brayera anthelmintica, Kunth. 

 N.O. Rosaceae). 



This inflorescence consists of a panicle of shortly stalked, 

 purplish-red flowers. Each flower bears on its pedicel two 

 rounded bracts. The calyx consists of two whorls of greenish 

 sepals, a caducous, white corolla,- abortive stamens, and two 

 monocarpellary ovaries enclosed in the tube of the calyx. 



fter fertilisation the inner sepals bend over the young fruit and 

 shrivel ; the outer grow larger, and become deeply veined with 

 purple, hence the pistillate inflorescence is characterised by its 

 purplish -red colour. The branching floral axis is covered with 

 shaggy brown hairs. 



The staminate flowers are distinguished by their greenish 

 colour ; the outer sepals as well as the inner are small, and the 

 calyx-tube encloses only a rudimentary ovary. 



The organs of which the pistillate inflorescence consists are 

 characterised by the presence of a great number of hairs, both 

 simple and glandular. The former are always unicellular, long, 

 and conical ; their lumen is very narrow, or even linear, but is 

 enlarged into a bulb-shaped cavity at the base. Three forms of 

 glandular hairs are present. Some are small and unicellular 

 others are larger, oval and pluricellular, others again are 

 very large, unicellular, and rounded ; the latter are specially 

 numerous on the sepals. 



The diagnostic characters of powdered cusso are : 

 (a) The very abundant, long, unicellular hairs. 

 (6) The characteristic glands, of which three varieties are 



to be found, 

 (c) The parenchyma of the floral axis, rich in crystals. 



