330 NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



diplostemonous. 1 But the receptacle is a shallow cup, so that the 

 gymeceum is almost Avholly superior. The placentas are parietal 

 and multiovulate in the lower part, which forms a single cell ; above 

 the carpels are separate, and end in subulate styles. Hence the 

 capsular fruit appears nearly free, and almost entirely divided into 

 two horns ; it opens at maturity by two interstylar valves. 0. 

 montana inhabits the North of China. It is a perennial herb, 2 with 

 a thick scaly rhizome, having usually only one radical leaf, ovate- 

 cordate, serrate, with a thick petiole. Its flowers form dichotomous 

 cymes at the top of a common scape. 



The flowers of Astilbe? pentamerous or more rarely tetramerous, 

 have a concave receptacle framing the base of the carpels, which are 

 pluriovulate and united below, surmounted by two or three distinct 

 styles. On the rim of the receptacle are inserted the valvate or im- 

 bricate sepals, the petals (which may be absent), and a diplostemon- 

 ous androceum, with short subdidymous anthers. The fruit is dry 

 and capsular, formed of two or three carpels, containing numerous 

 scobiform seeds, whose outer coat is prolonged at each end into a 

 sort of lax membrane ; the embryo is surrounded by fleshy albumen. 

 Astilbe comprises half a dozen species/ from India, Java, China, Japan, 

 and North America. They are perennial herbs, whose rhizome gives 

 off branches covered with alternate leaves, bi- or tri-ternate, com- 

 pound or decompound, with serrate leaflets. Adnate to the base of 

 the dilated petiole are membranous stipules. The flowers form 

 spikes or racemes, which may be simple or composed of cymes. We 

 make Rodgersia podojjJtgUcF of Japan a mere section of this genus; it 

 has the same floral organization, with the basal leaves digitate or 

 pedate, and the cauline trilobate ; and its flowers are apetalous, sessile 

 or subsessile, arranged along the numerous axes of the inflorescence 

 in cymes which are usually uniparous and scorpioid. 



1 Several flowers have from twelve to fourteen 4 Vent., Malmais., t. 54 {Tiarella). — 

 stamens. Cambess., in Jacquem. 'Yoy„ Bot., t. 58 {Spi- 



2 Its habit is compared to that of certain rcea). — V. Houtte, Fl. des Serr., n. 1207. — 

 Begonias. The single aerial leaf developes after Bot. Mag., t. 3821 {Hoteia), 4959. — Walp., 

 the flowers ; these are at first pink, but ulti- Rep., ii. 372 {Hoteia) ; Ann., i. 976 (Hoteia) ; 

 mately turn green. v. 29; vii. 888, 8S9 {Rodgersia). 



3 Hamilt., in Don Prodr. Fl. Nepal., 210. — 5 A. Gbay, in Mem. Amer. Acad,, ser. 2, vi. 

 DC, Prodr., iv. 51.— Endl., Gen., n. 4645.— 389.— B. H., Gen., 635, n. 5. 



B. H., Gen., 634, n. 4. — Hoteia Mobe. & Dcne., 

 in Ann. Sc. Nat., ser. 2, ii. 316, t. 11. — Endl., 

 Gen., n. 4644. 





I 



