100 NATURAL HISTORY OF TLANTS. 



GENERA. 



I. NELUMBEjE. 



1. Nelumbo T. — Flowers regular, hermaphrodite; receptacle 

 convex, soon much enlarged into an obconical mass. Sepals 4, 5, 

 inserted on receptacle imbricate. Petals go, imbricate, inserted with 

 co stamens on calyx ; filaments more or less petaloid ; anthers basi- 

 fixe 1 introrse 2-rimose ; connective produced club-shaped beyond 

 anther-cells. Carpels go, inserted in alveoli on flat top of receptacle, 

 free; germen 1-locular ; dorsum gibbous, glandular; style short 

 with a minutely projecting, capitate, stigmatose apex ; ovules 1, 2, 

 descending almost from apex of cell, anatropous ; micropyle superior, 

 introrse. Nuts go, nearly round, slightly protruding from pits in 

 the hardened receptacle, indelr'scent or obscurely dehiscent. Seed 

 pendulous ; skin thin ; embryo exalbuminous ; cotyledons thick, 

 fleshy, covering much developed leaf}^ plumule ; radicle superior very 

 short. — Perennial herbs ; rhizome thick ; leaves alternate, floating, 

 concavely peltate, "stipulate;" flowers axillary solitary pedunculate 

 (Asia, Australia, Tropical and Subtropical America). See p. 76. 



II. CABOMBE^E. 



2. Cabomba Aubl. — Flowers hermaphrodite, small ; receptacle 

 shortly conical. Sepals 3, petaloid, imbricate or contorted. Petals 

 3, alternate. Stamens 3, alternating with petals, or more usually 6, 

 in pairs opposite sepals, free ; anthers extrorse, 2-rimose. Carpels 3, 

 opposite petals, or more rarely 2, 4, free; germen 1-locular; style 

 capitate, depressed ; apex slender stigmatose ; ovules few (usually 3), 

 inserted on the sides, descending anatropous ; micropyle superior 

 extrorse. Drupes 1-3 ; mesocarp thin ; putamen thick, rough on 

 surface. Seeds 1-3, descending ; albumen double ; inferior farina- 

 ceous, superior (amniotic) fleshy, embracing short inverted embryo ; 

 cotyledons thick ; radicle superior, short. — Herbs ; stem slender 



