JlOO 



NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



in a fleshy sac, whicli, it is said, finally tears irregularly to free them ; 

 they consist of a hard, thick stone, surrounded by a thin, fleshy 

 mesocarp. The suspended seed contains withhi its coats a copious 

 fleshy albumen, with a small embryo towards the apex. 



As yet three species are known of this genus,' small trees from 

 the islands on the east coast of Africa. Nearly all their organs 



Monimia rotundifolia. 





Fig. 340. 

 Male flower expanded (f). 





Fig. 312. 

 Female flower (Y)- 



Fig. 343. 



Long, section of female 

 flower. 



Fig. 341. 

 Stamen. 



are covered with a peculiar down -^ the leaves are ojDposite, pe- 

 tiolate, exstipulate ; the flowers are grouped in branching peduncu- 

 late axillary cymes. 



The flo^vers of Palmeria^ are monoecious, and nearly similar to those 

 of Monimia, especially the females, which are like a sac with a 

 narrow, thick-edged circular border, the aperture being only large 



' W., Spec. Plant., iv. 2, 647.— Bo J., Mort. 

 ilaur., 289.— TUL., Ann. So. Nat., ser. 4, iii. 32 ; 

 Mon., 309.— WAi,r., Ann., iv. 88. 



"^ Consi-sting of h.iirs, often very coarse ; some- 

 times stellate with nearly equal rays, sometimes 

 apparently simple, but really stellate at the base, 



with a long terminal prolongation, all the lateral 

 rays remaining very short. TuLASNE has also 

 seen cystolithcs in Monimia (see p. 322, note 1). 

 3 Y. MUELL., Fragm., iv.l52j v. 2.— A. DC, 

 Prodr., xvi. s. post., 641, 657. — H. Bn., Adan- 

 sonia, ix. 115, 130. 



