BERBEEIDACE^. 



55 



these leaves. The four innermost are more petaloid and better 

 developed than the rest. The corolla is double, consisting of two 

 outer petals, and two alternating inner petals. Each petal bears a 

 little above its base, either a nectariferous pit or, more frequently, a 

 long spur. 1 All these pieces are imbricate-decussate in prsefloration. 



Epimedium (Macroceras) violaceum. 



Fig. 61. 

 Flower. 



Fig. 62. 

 Long. sect, of flower (\). 



The androceum consists of four stamens, one in front of each petal, 

 they are formed of a free filament and a basifixed introrse two-celled 

 anther. The outer half-cell alone rises into a long flap, as in 



Berberis. The gynaeceum Epimedium (Microceras) alpinum. 



though like that of Berberis, 

 differs in the more elongated 

 ovary and style ; the end of 

 the latter is stigmatiferous. 

 The ovary contains in its 

 single cell a long parietal 

 placenta bearing two vertical 

 rows of more or less ascend- 

 ing anatropous ovules,* with 

 their micropyles downwards 

 and outwards. The fruit is dry, capsular, and many seeded ; it 

 opens by a vertical elliptical cleft, which separates from the placen- 

 tary part, a valve whose edges were before indicated by a con- 

 tinuous groove. 3 The seeds, which possess an entire or laciniate 



Fig. 63. 

 Flower (f). 



Fig. 64. 

 Diagram. 



1 On the length of this depends the division 

 of the genus into the sections Macroceras and 

 Microceras, established by Mokeen & Decaisne 

 (in Ann. Sc. Nat., ser. ii. 352). We have added 

 a section Dimorphophyllum, whereof E. pinna- 

 turn Fisch. is the type. (See Adansonia, ii. 270.) 



2 They have two coats ; the younger are 

 inferior. Above the hilus is already seen a rudi- 

 mentary aril. 



3 It has been supposed, though wrongly, that 

 this flap represented a sterile carpellary leaf, 

 placed facing the ovuliferous one. The gynae- 

 ceum of Epimedium at no age consists of more 

 than one carpellary leaf, and organogeny demon- 

 strates this (see Adansonia, ii. 276.), We 

 think that the line of dehiscence of this flap 

 corresponds to the more horizontal cleft of de- 

 hiscence of the carpel of Jeffersonia. 



