146 NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



the receptacle of tlie fruit also varies greatly in form, being some- 

 times ovoid or nearly globular, and sometimes long, cylindrical, and 

 branch-like, without making it in the least possible on that account 

 to parcel out the genus. The stamens are sometimes shaped like 

 fleshy wedges (figs. 187, 18S), at others like narrow rods, more or 

 less free. Some of them may be reduced to staminodes of very 

 unequal size." Thus understood, the genus Schizcuidra includes half 

 a score species, and by itself constitutes the series of ^cliizandrecB, 

 which may be defined as follows : Maf/noliacpce with unisexual 

 flowers, the perianth ahvays imbricated, and the leaves always 

 exstipulate. 



III. ILLICIUM SEEIES. 



The Aniseed-trees {lUicium^- Fr. Badianier) have regular, her- 

 maphrodite flowers. On the slightly convex receptacle are suc- 

 cessively inserted a perianth, androceum, and gynasceum, of free 

 elements, varying considerably in number, form, and colour, 

 according to the species. If we examine, for example, the flower 

 of I.parvijiorum^ (figs. 191-194), an American species much cultivated 

 in our conservatories, we find that the perianth consists of about 

 fifteen dissimilar leaves inserted on a spiral, the outer ones shorter 

 and more greenish, the inner ones on the contrary larger, thinner, 

 petaloid, and of a pale yellow colour ; but between them w^e find 

 every transition in texture and tint, so that it is almost impossible 

 to assign exact limits between calyx and corolla. All these parts 



anthers to all the species of both genera, for in column is h.-ire, and recalls the extremity of the 



both S. propinqua and K. japonica they are spadix in certain Aroidce. We shall call this 



certainly introrse. species S. Hanceana. 



' This fact is very marked in a species which ^ L., Gen., n. 611. — Adaxs., Fam. PL, ii. 364. 



has been for some years cultivated in our con- — Juss.,Gew., 280. — Lamk., DiW., i. 351.— DC, 



ser\-atoric8 under the name of Cosbcea Coccinea Sijst., i. 440 ; Prodr., i. 77. — Spach, Suit, a 



(see Adansonia, iii. 4), and which is Kadsura Pitff"., vii. 439. — E>'DL., Get;., n. 4743. — Miees, 



chinensis Hance (A', japonica Bexth., Fl. Co/j^r/i., i. 142.— B. H., GeH., 18, n. 2. — H. Bx., 



Jlonf/kong., 8, nee Drx.). The receptacle of Adansonia,Vn.S,Q'l,^Ql;\ni.\. — Badianifera 



the male flower is drawn out into a column, and L., Mat. Med., 510. 



bears stamens at some distance from each other ^ IsllC'O.'S.., Flor. Bor.-Amer.,'\. 22.Q. — Vent., 



like little erect rods. The uppermost are sterile IJort. Cels., t. 22. — DC, Prodr., i. 77, n. 3. — 



and end in a point. The lower ones bear an Miees, op. cit., 143, n. 5. — Ci/mhostemon Parvi- 



anther with two oblique cells. The top of the folium Spach, op. cit,, 446. 



