102 



NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



this genus. Thus the floral receptacle is often long and tubular like 

 that of the Tamarind, as in V. bifolia Aubl. (figs.77,78). But elsewhere 

 we find it deeper and shallower in proportion, like that of Baik'uea, 

 as seen in V. macroplnjlhv (figs. 79, 80) ; and the gynaaceum is in this 

 case inserted much further from the posterior rim of the receptacular 

 cavity. The calyx usually consists of four imbricate sepals, and the 

 corolla is represented by the vexillary petal, which is greatly de- 

 veloped and possesses a long claw and a broad limb which is bent on 

 itself in the bud. The four anterior petals are either reduced to very 

 little scales or altogether absent. There are often three fertile 



Vouapa bifolia. 



Fig. 77. 



Flower ({). 



Fig. 78. 

 Longitudinal section of flower. 



stamens, the other pieces of the androceum becoming quite rudi- 

 mentary or even disappearing (figs. 77, 78). But in Ant/ionota, from 

 tropical Africa, which should be referred to this genus, there are 

 sometimes as many as nine or ten stamens, all of which may be 

 fertile but one ; and this reveals more clearly the fundamental ar- 

 rangement of the elements of the androceum. Thus V. macropltylla 

 has five very unequal petals, and it is the stamen superposed to the 

 vexillary petal which is absent or reduced to a sterile tubercle The 

 nine others have "an anther which may dehisce longitudinally and 



1 H. Bn., in Adansonia, vi. 178, t. iii. fig. 6, are inexact and imperfect). — Macrololium Pa- 

 7. — Anihonoia macrophylla V. Beaut., Ft. Ow. lisoti Behth., in Trans. Linn. Sue, x.w. 3U8. — 

 et Ben., i. 71, t. 42 (the analyses of the flower Oliv., Fl. Trop. Afr., ii. 2 ( J7. 



