LAURACEJE. 453 



fertile extrorse 2-glandular ; fourth whorl sterile. Fruit superior, 

 naked or surrounded at base by the receptacle, not enclosed in its 

 cavity. Trees with persistent leaves. Buds with incomplete scales. 



II. CryptocaryEjE. — Flowers usually hermaphrodite. Androceum 

 generally similar to that of Cinnamomea, rarely reduced to 3-6 

 stamens. Fruit wholly or nearly enclosed in sacciform cavity of 

 accrescent receptacle. Trees ; leaves and buds as in Cinnamomece. 



III. Ocote.e. — Flowers usually diclinous, often dioecious (very 

 rarely bisexual), with three verticils of fertile stamens; stamens of 

 the third whorl extrorse, 2-glandular sterile stamens of the fourth 

 whorl ill-developed sessile, or 0. Fruit superior, naked or surrounded 

 at base (but not included) by wholly or partially persistent recep- 

 tacle. Trees with alternate, rarely caducous leaves. 



IV. TetrantherE/E. — Flowers usually diclinous dioecious (rarely 

 bisexual), in umbelliform inflorescences or glomeruli protected at first 

 by an involucre of imbricated bracts or pluriseriate bud-scales. Sta- 

 mens of male flowers usually all fertile ; valves introrse. Woody 

 plants with persistent or caducous leaves. 



V. Cassythe^e. — Flowers hermaphrodite or polygamous; receptacle 

 very concave, persistent, and becoming fleshy around included fruit. 

 Androceum of three whorls of fertile stamens, the innermost introrse 

 2-glandular. Leafless parasitic herbs ; stems filiform twining, cling- 

 ing by suckers. Flowers spicate or racemose. 



VI. GYROCARPEyE. — Flowers polygamous ; receptacle concave per- 

 sistent. Fruit inferior induviate. Cotyledons folded or rolled into 

 a spiral around the tigellum. Woody plants erect or climbing ; 

 leaves digitiveined, entire or lobed. 



VII. Illigere^e. — Fiowers usually hermaphrodite ; receptacle 

 usually saccate, with a narrow mouth. Androceum isostemonous. 

 Fruit induviate by receptacle which possesses vertical wings. Embryo 

 fleshy thick non- convolute. Woody climbers with digitate leaves. 



VIII. HernandiE/E. — Flowers monoecious ; perianth double. 

 Male flower isostemonous. Female flower with an inferior ovary 

 surrounded by a proper involucre, which is accrescent to form an 

 induvium. Flowers united in threes (one female and two male) in a 

 common involucre of four imbricated bracts. Trees with simple 

 alternate leaves. 



It will be now seen that the variable characters whereon these 

 sections are founded refer to the arrangement and number of the 



