370 



NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



lar hermaphrodite flowers, with a convex receptacle bearing a short, 

 very deeply five-lobed 1 calyx, at first imbricate in the bud. The free 

 alternating petals, of imbricate sestivation, have a hypogynous inser- 

 tion like the ten stamens ; each of these consists of a free filament 2 

 and a didymous introrse two-celled anther of longitudinal dehiscence. 

 The free superior gynseceum is formed of a two-celled ovary, sur- 

 mounted by two long styles, tapering to their stigmatiferous apex. 

 The base of the ovary is surrounded by an annular disk, with ten 

 vertical grooves at the margin corresponding with the staminal "fila- 

 ments. 3 The cells of the ovary, complete or incomplete, are separated 

 by the two placentas, which spring from their walls laterally, alter- 

 nating with the styles, and meet inside, their thickened edges 

 becoming united or remaining separate. In each cell are two 

 vertical rows of descending anatropous ovules. The fruit (fig. 451) 

 is a coriaceous septicidal bivalve capsule, surmounted by the per- 

 sistent styles ; each navicular valve is detached not merely at its 

 edges but at its base, and rises up more or less, remaining adherent 

 by its tapering apex to the columella of the fruit. 4 Thus are freed 

 the numerous elongated compressed seeds, with their outer coats ex- 

 panded into a wing at either end, and containing a fleshy albumen, 

 which surrounds a small axile embryo, with elongated cotyledons 

 and a superior cylindrical radicle.* Besides the African species, 5 the 

 genus Cunonia embraces four or five others, natives of New Caledonia. 6 

 They are trees or shrubs, with the axis tumid at the insertion of 

 the opposite petiolate trifoliolate or pinnate leaves. These possess 

 two large leafy interpetiolar stipules, at first applied to one another, 

 afterwards coming off at the base. The white or pink flowers are 

 arranged on a simple common axis axillary to the upper leaves, which 

 forms a raceme bearing little groups of pedicellate flowers. 7 



Weinmannia* is scarcely generically distinct from Cunonia, of which 



1 Except i.nally hexamerous flowers occur. 



2 The filaments are longer in the alternipetalous 

 stamens. In the bud each is folded above into a 

 loop, with the anther inverted and its face turned 

 in. Later on the filament becomes erect and ex- 

 serted (figs. 449, 450). 



3 The pollen in Cunonia and Weinmannia is 

 formed of ellipsoidal grains, with three folds, 

 which, when moistened, become papillose bands. 



4 The whitish harder endocarp comes off more 

 or less easily from the exocarp. 



5 C. capensis L., Spec, 569. — Lodd., Bot. 

 Cab., t. 826.— Haev. & Sond., Fl. Cap., ii. 307. 



6 Ad. Be. & Ge., in Ann. Sc Nat., ser. 5, i. 

 370 ; in Bull. Soc. Bot de Fr., ix. 71. 



7 They appear to be in cymes on the common 

 rachis. 



s L., Gen,, n. 493. — J., Gen., 309.— G.ebtn., 

 FrucL, 225. — Lamk., Diet., vii. 578; III., t. 

 313. — DC, Proch:, iv. 8. — Spach, Suit. a Buff on, 

 v. 7.— Endl., Gen., n. 4655.— B. H., Gen., 653, 

 n. 69. — Windmannia P. Be., Jam., 212. — 



