478 NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



at base, extrorse ; anthers all 2-locellate ; connective different in 

 stamens of each row ; staminodes 3, quite interior oppositipetalous, 

 3-angular or gland-like, sessile or stipitate. Germen inserted in 

 bottom of receptacle, included ; ovule 1 descending ; style short ; apex 

 stigmatiferous, sometimes depressed. Fruit membranous, included 

 in thickened fleshy receptacle with constricted mouth crowned by 

 remains of perianth and (often) androceum. Seed subglobular; 

 embryo thick fleshy; cotyledons hemispherical; 1 radicle short 

 superior. — Parasitic leafless herbs ; scales representing leaves remote 

 alternate ; stem and branches filiform terete, clinging to other plants 

 by rows of papilliform or patelliform suckers. Flowers in rarely 

 capitate terminal simple or compound racemes or more frequently 

 spikes; bracts alternate 1 -flowered; bractlets 2, lateral sterile; 

 upper flowers sometimes 1 -sexual (All parts of the Tropics). See 

 p. 440. 



VI. GYROCARPE.E. 



49. Gyrocarpus Jacq. — Flowers polygamous ; receptacle urceo- 

 late with contracted mouth in female and hermaphrodite flowers ; 

 subconcave in males. Perianth 4-1 0-leaved ; 2 leaves larger than 

 rest in hermaphrodites and females. Stamens 3-6, inserted along 

 with perianth ; filaments free, 2-4 possessing 1 or 2 subclavate 

 glands at base ; anthers basifixed dilated-compressed 2-locellate ; 

 locelli introrse submarginal valvate. Germen (rudimentary in male 

 flower) included in receptacle, 1 -celled ; ovule 1, descending from 

 nearly apex of cell, anatropous ; style slender ; apex capitate stigma- 

 tiferous. Fruit included in drupaceous receptacle, crowned at apex 

 by 2 subopposite sepals accrete into a long-spathulate erect mem- 

 branous-woody wing ; mesocarp thin. Embryo exalbuminous fleshy ; 

 radicle short superior ; cotyledons 2, broad petiolate spirally convo- 

 lute around plumule and tigellum. — Trees or shrubs, some climbing ; 

 leaves alternate petiolate digitiveined simple, entire or lobed, or 

 more rarely 3-foliolate ; flowers in much -branched corymboid or 

 panicled racemes of crowded cymes, pedicel bracteate (America, 

 Australia, tropical Asia). See p. 442. 



50. Sparattanthelium Mart. — Flowers polygamous, nearly of 



1 [Consolidated when mature, simulating: albumen. See Benth., Fl. Austr., v. 308.] 



