334 NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



They are little csespitose-tufted herbs, with the habit of certain 

 alpine Saxifrages, and possess little imbricated, alternate coriaceous 

 leaves, and sessile solitary terminal flowers, sometimes asexual by 

 abortion. 1 



II. PENTHORUM SERIES. 



Penthorum (figs. 376, 377), 2 a genus hitherto generally referred to 

 Cramdacece, has regular hermaphrodite apetalous flowers, hexamerous 

 or more frequently pentamerous. In the latter is a concave disk, thick 

 and saucer-shaped, on the rim of which are inserted the perianth 



andandroceum. The former 



Penthorum sedoides. consists of five Or six short 



(\(5V)$ <\ r t somewhat unequal sepals, 



if% f: mm) ■ >--'* ' ^ valvate, or nearly so, in the 



■^,^'4^^ "^^r i ^ ^ud. The petals are absent 



\f^ / " ^Hfej\ ^&)^^^^ : or iU-developed. There are 



-^' / V\" ^^^^f^^vj^ twice as many stamens, 



^^ v^ half of them shorter, and 



FlG - 37 , 6 ; B FlG ; f\ alternating with the sepals, 



Flower (±). Fruit dehiscing. ° * 



the other half superposed 

 to them ; each consists of a short slender filament, and a 

 basifixed two-celled anther, dehiscing b}^ two introrse or submarginal 

 longitudinal clefts. The hollow of the receptacle forms a frame to the 

 lower part of the five radiating carpels, which are applied to its walls 

 and leave a depression m the centre. They alternate with the sepals ; 

 each consists of a one-celled ovary tapering above into a style, 

 slightly dilated and stigmatiferous at the apex. In the ventral 

 angle of each ovary is a large ovoid stigma, covered with numerous 

 little anatropous ovules. The fruit, surrounded by the persistent 

 calyx, consists of five capsules, the free part of which separates from 

 that adherent to the receptacle, setting free the numerous seeds. 

 These are rugose or papillose, with an axile cylindroidal embryo, 



1 Only with doubt do we refer the genus 65. — Lame., Diet., v. 160 ; Suppl., iv. 351 ; III., 

 Donatio, to this order. " Gen. valde anomalum." t. 390. — DC, Prodr., iii. 41 1 ; Mem. PI. Gr., ii. 

 (B. H., loc. eit.) 43, t. 1, fig. 8, t. 13.— Endl., Gen., n. 4625.— 



2 L., Gen., n. 5S0.— Adans., F.im. des PI, ii. 13. H., Gen., 661, n. 13. 

 245. — J., Gen., 308.— GiERTN., Fruct., i. 312, t. 



