•286 



NATURAL niSTORY OF PLANTS. 



conio otlier hir<''er, more membninous, petaloid leaves, yellowisli or 

 whitish, ami sweet-scented ; then others again, a little smaller, but 

 quite as thin and delicate, stained with violet purple/ So we reach 

 the orifice of the receptacular depression, where several' stamens are 

 inserted, with free filaments and extrorse two-celled anthers. Below 

 and within these — that is, nearer the organic apex of the receptacle — 



Chimonanthus pracox. 



Fig. 316. 

 Seed. 



Fig. 315. 

 Longitudinal section of flower {\). 



Fig. 317. 

 Transverse section of seed. 



we find sterile tongues, presenting a transition between the stamens 

 and the carpels/ The latter, few in number and grouped near this 

 apex, towards the bottom of the receptacular cup, are free, and con- 

 structed like those of C.jloridus. Of the two ovules that each con- 

 tains, one is more or less completely abortive. The one which alone 

 becomes perfect has its micropyle looking downwards and outwards. 

 If to these characters we add that the flowers of C. pracox appear 

 in winter before the leaves are developed (fig. 314), it will be seen 

 why this species and its varieties have been erected into a special 

 genus under the name of Chimonanthus.'^ The receptacular sac is 



' Rut it is impossible to say where tiie sepals 

 end and the pt-taU l)ejj;in, for we find every transi- 

 tion in form, consistency, and colour between the 

 brownish soiles, the yellow leaves, and those tinted 

 with jnirple ; even one or two of the outer stamens 

 may Jicrome partly petaloid. 



2 Fire is by far the most usual number. 



' There are usually from 5 to 8 ; their form 

 is subulate, and they are solid ; no doubt re- 

 prcsontinp sterile Hlanients, not outer carpels 

 wanting; the ovarian cavity ; for they are inserted 

 quite close to the fertile stamens, not far from the 



rim of the receptacle ; while there is a large space 

 between their insertion and that of the carpels, 

 which is close to the bottom of the receptacular 

 cup. 



•* LiNDL., Bot. Seg., t. 451.— DC, Prodr., iii. 

 2.— Enul., Oeii., n. 6355. — Spach, Suit, a Buff., 

 iv. 285.—]?. H., Gen., 16, n. 2.— H. Bn., Adcais., 

 ix. 121, 127. — Meratia Nees, Nov. Act. Nat. 

 Cur., xi. 107, t. 10. Though several species of 

 this genus have been described under the names 

 of C. inirciforus, grandiflorus, verus, luteus (see 

 BlELAWSKi, " /Sar /e /;. Chimonanthus etsaprop. 



