CAPPAEIDACEJ?. 



155 



East Indies, with a decidedly imbricate perianth ; one from the 

 Philippine Islands, with longer sepals, in part almost valvate. 



In SteripJioma 1 the subcylindrical gamosepalous calyx is divided 

 unequally at the apex by from two to four longitudinal clefts. 

 Inside its base are four ellipsoidal glandular squamiform pits, some- 

 times scarcely distinct. Between these are seen four imbricated 

 petals, equal or slightly unequal, supported on a short cylindrical 

 column a little above the calyx. There are five or six very long, 

 free exserted stamens, equal or unequal, with introrse elongated 

 anthers. The stipitate gynseceum consists of an ovary whose two 

 multiovulate placentas are finally joined, and is surmounted by a little 

 flattened discoidal stigma. The fruit is said to be a many-seeded 

 berry. Steriphoma comprises three species 2 from Peru, Colombia, 

 and the Southern Antilles ; they are shrubs, with alternate simple 

 long-petiolate leaves, and flowers in terminal racemes. 



Thylachium 3 has regular hermaphrodite apetalous flowers. The 

 membranous valvate gamosepalous calyx bursts across irregularly/ 

 the upper part coming off like a cowl. Above the receptacle 

 expands into a short thick inverted cone, supporting on top a large 

 number of free stamens finally much exserted, with two-celled 

 introrse anthers. From the centre of its upper surface springs a 

 long foot, bearing a one-celled ovary, which contains from four to 

 ten parietal multiovulate placentas, and is surmounted by a little 

 sessile stigmatiferous platform. The fruit is a many-seeded berry. 

 Thylachium consists of glabrous shrubs, from the islands east of South 

 Africa. Their leaves are alternately simple or trifoliolate ; their 

 flowers form short corymbiform racemes, axillary or terminal. 5 



1 Spheng., Cur. Post., 130; Gen., n. 1311.— 

 Endl., in Flora (1832), ii. t. 5; Gen., n. 5005 — 

 B. H., Gen., 107, 96-J, n. 11. — Rcemeria Tbatt., 

 Gen., 88 (nee Medik., nee Thunb., nee Zea). — 

 Stephania W., Spec, 239.— DC, Prodr., i. 253 

 (nee Locr.). — Hermupoa Lcefl., It., 307. — 

 DC, Prodr., i. 254.— Endl., Gen., n. 5008. 



2 Jacq., Hort. Schoenbr.,t. Ill (Capparis). — 

 Ghiseb.,.F/. Brit. W.-Ind., 19 — Tkiana & Pl., 

 in Ann. Sc. Nat., ser. 4, xvii. 75. — Eichl., in 

 Mart. Fl, Bras., Cappar., 266, t. 64. — V. 

 Hotjtte, Fl. des Serr., vi. t. 534, 535. — Walp., 

 Ann., i. 61 ; ii. 61. 



3 Louis., Fl. Cochinch,, 342. — J., in Ann. 

 Mus., sii. 71. — LAMK., Diet., vii. 632 ; Suppl., 



v. 301. — DC, Prodr., i. 254.— Endl., Gen., n. 

 4991.—B. H., Gen., 107, 968, n. 10. 



4 This is the only character whereby Thyla- 

 chium is really distinguished from Capparis, and 

 it is of the less value, as there are members of 

 Cleome, such as Peritoma, and Capparis, such 

 as certain Busbeekias, whose calyx comes off just 

 as in Thylachium, while we are yet unable to 

 separate them generically from the other species. 

 We are left to the leaves, often trifoliolate in 

 Thylachium, but even here sometimes simple, as 

 in Capparis. Hence the value of the genus is 

 infinitesimal, and perhaps it will have to be 

 reduced to a mere section of Capparis. 



5 Lame., Diet., i. 609 (Capparis). — Dup.- 



