312 



NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



Crassula parvifiora. 



a parietal placenta, bearing an indefinite number of anatropous 

 ovules on either lip. 1 The fruit consists of five polyspermous follicles, 

 which open down the ventral angle. The small seeds contain a 

 fleshy embryo. 



In certain species, such as C. falcala? coccinea, 3 &c, the petals are 

 more united than in the rest. Hence they have been made the type 



of a £enus Roc/iea. 4 But as a rule there is no 

 true gamopetaly here ; but the petals only stick 

 very closely together by their edges, or are kept 

 in contact by the filament of the alternating 

 stamen. Hence Rochea can only be made a 

 section 5 of the genus Crassula. 



C. dic/tofoma, 6 from the Cape, has also been 

 proposed as the type of a new genus, under the 

 name of Grammanthes, 1 because it was said to 

 have a gamopetalous corolla, with no glands at the 

 base of the carpels. But the glands exist, though ill developed ; and 

 the corolla is polypetalous, its leaves only sticking together by their 

 edges, chiefly through the starainal filaments. Hence Grammanthes 

 may be reduced to a section of the genus Crassula, characterized by its 

 campanulate corolla, and Gentian-like habit, which this little herb 

 owes to its opposite linear slightly fleshy glaucous leaves, and its so- 

 called paniculate floral cymes. 



In the neighbourhood of Paris is found a little Crassula which has 

 been named Bulliarda* Vaillantii (figs. 34S-353). 9 It has been thus 

 made the type of a distinct genus, either because of its small size, or 

 because of its flowers being usually tetramerous. But in organiza- 

 tion of flower and fruit this little herb cannot be distinguished more 



Fig. 347. 

 Long. sect, of flower. 



1 With two coats. 



2 W., Fnum., 341.— DC, PI. Gr., t. 103.— 

 C. obliqua Ande., Bot. Repos., 414. 



3 DC, PI. Gr., t. l.—Bot. Mag., t. 495.— 

 Larochea coccinea Haw., Sgn., 50. — Calosanthes 

 coccinea Haw., Revis. Succ, 18. — Comm., Rar., 

 t. 24. — Beadi., Succ, t. 50. 



4 DC, PI. Or., n. 103 ; Prodr., iii. 393, sect. 

 ii. (Franciscea), — Endl., Gen., n. 4615. — 

 Kalosanthes Haw., Revis. Succ, 6. 



5 Spec. 4, South African. Haet. & Soxd., 

 Fl. Cap., ii. 368.— Bot. Reg., t. 320. — Bot. 

 Mag., t. 495, 2178. 



6 L., Amoen. Acad., vi. 86. — C. retrqflexa 



Thttnb., JF7. Cap., 282. — C. gentianoides Lamk., 

 P>ict., ii. 175. — Grammanthes chlorcefolia DC, 

 Prodr., iii. 392. — G. gentianoides DC, loc fit., 

 393. 



7 DC, Prodr., loc. cit. — Endl., Gen., n. 

 4613.— Haev. & Sond., Fl. Cap., iii. 331.— 

 B. H., Gen., 658, n. 4. — Yauanthes Haw., Revis. 

 Succ, 18. 



8 DC, in Bull. Soc Philom. (1801), 49, n. 1 ; 

 Prodr., iii. 3S2. Crassula contains but few 

 European plants. 



9 DC, loc. cit. — Geek. & Gode., Fl. de Fr., 

 i. 616. — Payee, Organog., iii. 368, t. 79. 



