B08ACEJE. 



421 



tion of the gynseceum a little below the mouth of the receptacle. 

 But here the development of the receptacular pit is exaggerated 

 on one side, so as to form one of those deep depressions whose 



Hirtella tricmdra. 



Fig. 495. 

 Flower-bud. 



Fig. 496. 

 Flower (|). 



Fig. 497. 

 Flower, coroUu removed. 



Fig. 498. 

 Longitudinal section 

 of flower. 



Hirtella triandra. 



aj)pearance has been compared to what is called the "adnata 

 spur" of certain flowers. On the edges of the receptacular cuj) are 

 inserted a perianth like that of Grcmgeria, and an androceum with 

 at most ten stamens in the known species and 

 usually still fewer. Thus H. tricmdra^ (fig^- 

 495-499) has only five stamens, of which but 

 three are fertile, namely, those inserted on the 

 same side as the gyna3ceum. They each consist 

 of a filament involute in the bud and free for 

 nearly its whole length, and an introrse two- 

 celled anther dehiscing longitudinally." At the 

 base the stamens are connected by a little 

 thickened ring, so that they are really mon- 

 adelphous ; on the side where the almost entire abortion of the andro- 



FiG. 499. 

 Diagram. 



528. — Spach, Suit, a Buffon, i. 375. — Endl., 

 Oen., n.6408.— B. H., Gen., G08, n. S.— Cosmi- 

 huena R. & 1'av., Prod/t: Fl. Per., 10, t. 2 (nee 

 Fl.). — Causea Scor., Introd., n. 928. — Brya 

 Velloz., Fl. Film,, iv. t. 1. 



' Sw., Prodr., 57 : Fl. Ind. Occ, i. 508.—//. 



americana J ACQ., Amer., 8, t. 8.— IT. punctulata 

 MiQ., in Liiinaa, xix. 439. 



- The pollen, according to II. JIouL. {Ann. 

 Sc. Nat., ser. 2, iii. 341), is analogous to that of 

 Chrysohalanus ; but the three or four bands on 

 each grain are destitute of papillw. 



