35S NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



very much like those of Brexia, are grouped in terminal racemes, 

 each flower axillary to a leafy caducous bract. 



Iwerba b rex /odes' has regular flowers with a convex receptacle 

 bearing five imbricated sepals, scarcely united below, and as many 

 alternate petals, also imbricated in the bud. The five alternipetalous 

 stamens have a free filament, and a versatile introrse two-celled 

 anther of longitudinal dehiscence ; they are inserted around a disk, 

 with five alternating lobes. The gynaseeum is free, with five pro- 

 minent oppositipetalous cells, tapering above into a twisted style 

 with five prominent ribs, and undilated at its stigmatiferous apex. In 

 the ventral angle of each cell are two descending subcollateral ana- 

 tropous ovules, with their micropyles upwards and outwards. The 

 fruit is a coriaceous loculicidal capsule tipped by the persistent style, 

 and opens on top by five recurved valves, bifid at the apex. There are 

 one or two descending seeds in each cell, with a fleshy aril of the hilunv 

 and a crustaceous outer coat ; the large fleshy embryo has its radicle 

 superior and is surrounded by fleshy albumen. Ixerba is a tree, 

 with all its parts glabrous ; the leaves are alternate opposite or verti- 

 cillate, petiolate, narrow and elongated, exstipulate, with glandular 

 teeth. The flowers are collected into short axillary cymes. 



Itomsea 3 (figs. 416-419) has nearly the flowers of Brexia, but with 

 valvate sepals and petals. There are as many stamens as petals, 

 alternating with them, possessing extrorse basifixed anthers and fila- 

 ments of peculiar insertion. The superior ovary has five angles or 

 prominent ribs on the lower part. Now the disk surrounding this is 

 formed of five contiguous glands, bowed and crescent-shaped, with 

 the concavity inwards. Each gland adheres by the centre of its 

 concavity to one rib of the ovary, and meets its neighbour on 

 either side (opposite a septum of the ovary, alternating with the 

 ribs) to form a pretty deep pit, the whole inner wall of which is 

 formed by the concave surface corresponding with each septum. 



1 A. Cunn., in Ann. Nat. Hist., iii. 219. — 3 Smith, Icon, ined., i. 6, t. 6. — G.ERTN., 

 Endl., Gen., n. 4GS1 '.— H. Bn., in Adansonia, FrucL, iii. 166, t. 212. — Poia., Diet., vi. 318.— 

 v. 294; in Payer Fam. Nat., 319. — B. M., Gen., Lamk., III., t. 75. — DC, Prodr., vii. 522.— 

 615, n. 39. Exdl., Gen., n. 4680. — H. Bs., in Payer Fam. 



2 As this is linear, extending along nearly the Nat., 319; in Adansonia, v. 2^2. — B. H., Gen., 

 whole of the inner margin of the seed, the aril 615, n. 41. — Roussoa Rceii. & Sen., Sgst. Veg., 

 itself forms a longitudinal crest, thicker above, iii, 3, n. 418. — R^usseaiivia Boj., Hoct. Maur., 

 and adherent all a';ong to the umbilical cicatrix. 216, n 232. 



