302 



NATURAL HISTORY OF PL.INTS. 



III. TAMBOURISSA SERIES. 



Tlie flowers of Tambourissa^ (figs. 344-351) are irregular and 

 unisexual. In the male flowers (figs. 344, 345), the peduncle is 

 dilated into a hollow, globular or elongated, thin-walled sac, bare 

 on its surface. This has been considered by most authors as a 

 gamophyllous calyx, but is more probably of receptacular nature ;" 



the perianth in this genus 



TamhourUsa Uptophylla. 



being only represented by four^ 

 teeth, usually but little marked, 

 surrounding the orifice at the 

 top of the sac. On its inner 

 walls are inserted the indefinite 

 stamens, larger as they are 

 higher up, and arranged without 

 any apparent order when adult. 

 Each consists of a filament of 

 variable length, and a basifixed 

 anther, whose two linear cells 

 are adnate along the whole 

 length of the edges of a con- 

 nective continuous with the filament, and are lateral or more or 

 less extrorse. Each cell dehisces by a lateral or nearly lateral cleft, 

 which often coalesces with its fellow at the apex of the anther, so 

 as to form a single line of dehiscence, with a very marked curve 

 whose concavity is downwards. At a certain period, the little teeth 

 surrounding the orifice of the floral sac separate to free the pollen 

 secreted by the anthers. The body of the sac, coriaceous and very 



Fig. 344. 

 Male flower (|). 



Fig. 345. 

 Stamen. 



> SoNNEB., Voy. Ind. Or. (1782), ii. 237, t. 

 134 ; ed. 2, iv. 405, t. 134.— Gmel., St/st. Nat., 

 ii. (1791), 16.— A. DC, Prodr., xvi. s. i)ost., 658. 

 H. Hn., Adaiusonia, ix. 114, 121. — Tamboure- 

 data Flac, Hist, de Madag. (1661), 133, n.69. 

 — Amhora Jrss., Oen., 401, n. 4706; Ann. JIi's., 

 xiv. (1809), 130.— PoiK., Diet., vii. 565 ; Suppl. 

 V. 282; Illustr., t. 784.— Enul., Gen., n. 2U14. 

 — Til., Mon., 295, t. xxv-xxvii. — Mithridatea 

 COMM., MSS., ex ScuKEB., Gen. (1791), ii. 783. 

 — W., Spec, i. p. 1 (1797), 27, ii. 24.— Spbeng., 

 Syst., iii. (1826) 866, n. 3132.— 2'awio«Z Poir., 

 loc. cit. 



^ Which seems proved by the fact, of which 

 we have observed several instances (Adansonia, 

 ix. 115), tliat its outer surface may bear one or 

 several bracts. 



^ This is the most frequent number ; but it 

 may vary from three to five or six ; and tliese 

 teeth, which are very unequal, are to be well ob- 

 served only in the very young bud, where they 

 are thick at the base, with the limbs inflexed and 

 hanging almost vertically downwards at first, the 

 obtuse apex almost reaching the bottom of the 

 receptacle. 



