16 NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



GENERA. 



I. CONNAEE.E. 



1. Connarus L. — Flowers hermaphrodite ; receptacle conical, or 

 slightly depressed at apex. Sepals 5, imbricated in aestivation, per- 

 sistent or deciduous. Petals 5, longer than the sepals, and alterna- 

 ting with them, free, sometimes cohering by the margins, imbricated 

 in aestivation. Stamens 10, 5 longer alternipetalous, 5 shorter oppo- 

 sitipetalous ; filaments connate close to more or less thickened and 

 disciform base, monadelphous, later free filiform ; anthers 2-celled 

 introrse, dehiscing longitudinally, finally reflexed or versatile; in 

 oppositipetalous stamens, sometimes sterile or wanting. Carpels 5, 

 oppositipetalous ; 1-4 usually smaller, sooner or later aborting ; 

 fertile ovary 1 -celled, tapering into a terminal style, with dilated 

 stigmatiferous apex. Ovules 2, collateral, inserted at a variable 

 distance from base of cell, orthotropous or suborthotropous ; umbilicus 

 basilar or more or less lateral ; micropyle superior. Fruit dry 

 capsular stipitate ; calyx either persistent, not accrescent, embrac- 

 ing the stalk, or deciduous, its position marked by scars ; pericarp 

 oblique oblong, obtuse or slightly apiculate, coriaceous, dehiscing by 

 ventral suture, 1 -seeded. Seed suberect, furnished at base with a 

 more or less lateral fleshy lobed aril ; testa externally smooth 

 shining ; embryo inverted exalbuminous ; cotyledons thick, fleshy 

 amygdaloid ; radicle short, superior. — Trees or shrubs, often sub- 

 scandent ; leaves alternate imparipinnate. or more rarely 3-foliolate, 

 evergreen exstipulate ; flowers minute crowded in simple or oftener 

 very much branched cymiferous racemes; pedicels usually articu- 

 lated (Tropical America Africa and Asia, Indian Archipelago, So///// 

 Sea Islands). See p. 1. 



2. Agelsea Soland.— Flowers hermaphrodite, either altogether 

 similar to or scarcely differing from those of Connarus ; calyx 5-, or 

 more rarely 3, 4-partite ; sepals imbricated, subvalvate or valvate. 

 Petals 5, or more rarely 3, 4, free or connate, either oblong or lanceo- 

 late, or more rarely ligulate long filiform. Stamens 10 (of Connarus) ; 

 5 or more rarely 3, 4 alternipetalous, often sterile or antherless ; fila- 



