140 



NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



The flower of Cnjptosepalum tetraphyUum} has but one petal, and 

 that posterior, as in Sindora ; but the calyx is at the same time so 

 much reduced that the lateral bractlets fulfil its part in protecting 

 the bud, and by their close approximation form a sac which at first 

 completely covers it. Thus Cryptoscpalum is in this respect to 

 Copaiferea what Didelotia is to Amlierstiece. The sepals are repre- 

 sented by four little scales ; there are three stamens with short 

 free filaments and versatile introrse two-celled anthers ; and the 

 gynseceum resembles that of Copaifera or Detarium. As yet we do 

 not know the fruit of this unarmed branching tree from the west of 

 tropical Africa. Its leaves are paripinnate, with one or two pairs of 

 coriaceous leaflets, and little lateral stipules. Its flowers form short 

 axillary racemes, whose caducous bracts fall off and leave the bract- 

 lets persisting on either side of each flower. While Cryptoscpalum 

 links the most imperfect Amherstiem to Copaiferea by its affinities 

 with Didelotia, Zuccagnia, formerly placed in this series, links it, as 

 will be now seen, to those Ca-s/iJ/j'n/iea in which the structure of the 

 flower is least intricate. 



VIII. DIMOEPHANDRA SERIES. 

 Bimorphandrd' (figs. 131, 132) has regular hermaphrodite flowers ; 



Dimorphamlra speciosa. 



Fig. 131. 

 Flower (±). 



Fig. 132. 

 Longitudinal section of flower. 



the very narrow receptacle bears a gamosepalous calyx, a poly 



1 Bekth., Gen., 584, 1003, n. 360; in Trans. 

 Linn. Soc, xxv. 315, t. 43 B. — Cynometra ? 

 tetrapnylla Hook. F., Niger, 329. — Walp., 

 Ann., ii. 449, n. 2.— Oliv., Fl, Trop. Afr., ii. 

 303. [This author adds two new species, C. 



maraviense Olit., and C. ? mimosoides Weiay.] 

 2 Sciiott, ap. Spkexg., Si/st. Cur. Post., 

 404.— Endl., Gen., n. 6824.— B. H. ( Gen., 587, 

 n. 370. — Mora Schomis., ex Benth., in Trans. 

 Linn. Soc, xviii. 207, t. 16, 17. 



