BEBBEBIBACEM. 



45 



lateral walls of the ovary, 1 Decaisnea, 2 also a monotypic Indian 

 genus, 3 has apetalous flowers, with the ovules forming two verti- 

 cal rows 4 in the ventral angle of the ovary and pinnate leaves. 

 Two species of Stauntonia b have been described, one Indian, the 

 other Chinese : 6 both have di- 



• i i • ffolboellia laiifolia. 



gitate leaves, monoecious ape- 

 talous flowers, monadelphous 

 stamens, and the ovules inserted 

 as in Parvatia ; but their berries 

 open ventrally instead of re- 

 maining indehiscent. 



Holbcettia 1 (figs. 37-40) is 

 closely analogous with Staun- 

 tonia, though easily distin- 

 guished by the complete free- 

 dom of the stamens. The six 

 sepals are large and valvate. The 

 petals are small, 8 superposed to 

 the sepals. The anthers, rudi- 

 mentary in the female flowers, 

 are two-celled and extrorse in 

 the males. The latter flowers 

 have only a rudimentary gyn- 



»ceum ; in the former each carpel contains a large number of ovules 

 attached all over its walls. The fruit consists of indehiscent berries, 

 whose seeds are lodged in thick fleshy pulp. The two known 

 species 9 of this genus inhabit the Himalayas. They are Lianas 



Fig. 37. 

 Inflorescence. 



1 They are arranged nearly as in Akebia, but 

 over a smaller area, aud are the younger as they 

 approach the dorsal angle of the ovary. A 

 mucilage formed of softened cells enframes them 

 more or less completely. 



a Hook. f. & Thoms., Fl. Ind., i. 212.— 

 B. H„ Gen., 42, n. 4. 



* The only known species is D. insignis Hook, 

 p. & Thoms. — Hook, f., III. Eimal. PL, 1. 10. — 

 Walp., Ann., iv. 140. — Slackia insignis Gbiff., 

 It. Not., 187, n. 977. 



4 They have two coats; those of either row 

 have their raphes turned towards the other. 

 They are younger in order from above down- 

 wards. 



5 DC, Syst., i. 513 ; Prodr., i. 96. — Dcne., in 

 Arch. Mus., i. 191, t. 11 C. — Endl., Gen., n. 

 4701.— B. H., Gen., 42, n. 5. 



6 Thunb., Fl. Jap., 149 (Rajania). — Sieb. 

 & Zucc, Fl. Jap., i. t. 76. 



' Wall., Tent. Fl. Nepal., 23, t. 16, 17.— 

 Dcne., in Arch. Mus., i. 193, t. 12 B. — Hook, 

 f. & Thoms., Fl. Ind., i. 213.— B. H., Gen. 

 42, n. 6. 



8 They are triangular and depressed, almost 

 resembling short glands, especially in the female 

 flowers, but to question their existence is a 

 mistake. 



9 Pot. Peg. (1846), t. 49.— Walp., Ann., iv. 

 41. 



