402 NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



which is inserted round a horizontal circle in Helicia, but more or 

 less obliquely in Guevina. Only in the last place comes the cha- 

 racter of the fruit ; this is indehiscent in an Andripetalum and one 

 Helicia, but dehiscent in Xylomelum and Poupala. In other series, 

 such as StirlingiecB, the genera are distinguished by other characters. 

 The syngenesious androceum is regular in Stirlingia, which has all 

 four anthers equal and fertile. In both Conospermum and Synaphea 

 one of the four anthers becomes quite sterile, and two others are 

 half fertile ; but the stamen in which both anthers are fertile is 

 posterior in the former genus, anterior in the latter. 



By applying these principles, we have divided Proteacece into six 

 series, of which we proceed to give the general characters : — 



I. Embothrie^e. — Ovules 2-4 or go , anatropous, ascending, in- 

 serted in two collateral rows. Fruit one-celled, dehiscent or inde- 

 hiscent. (20 genera.) 



II. Banksiej;. — Ovules 2, anatropous, ascending. Fruit dehis- 

 cent ; cell divided into two one-seeded chamberlets by a free false 

 dissepiment formed by the union of the coats of two collateral 

 seeds. (3 genera.) 



III. Persoonie^e. — Ovules one or two, orthotropous, descending. 

 Stamens free, inserted at middle or base of perianth. Fruit inde- 

 hiscent, with one or two one-seeded cavities. (G genera.) 



IV. Franklandie^e. — Ovule solitary, orthotropous, descending. 

 Stamens almost completely united to perianth. Perianth regular, 

 induplicate in the bud. Fruit indehiscent. (1 genus.) 



V. Prote^:. — Ovule solitary, anatropous, ascending. Anthers free. 

 Fruit indehiscent. (13 genera.) 



VI. Stirlingie^e. — Ovule solitary, anatropous ascending, or or- 

 thotropous descending. Stamens syngenesious. Fruit indehiscent. 

 (3 genera.) 



The vegetative organs also present common and differential cha- 

 racters in this group. The Protectees are, generally speaking, 

 woody, arborescent, or frutescent; very rarely herbaceous. 1 The 

 wood has usually marked features in the sharpness, straightness, and 

 regular arrangement of the medullary rays ; the alternation of fibres 

 and dotted vessels in the wood ; the segmentation of the liber fibres 

 into islets; the presence of fibrous bundles, even internal to the 



1 R. Beowk only cites one instance : Sytnphyonema paludosum. 



