8AXIFBAGACE2E. 375 



Ceratopetalanf has regular hermaphrodite flowers. Their recep- 

 tacle forms a hollow inverted cone of variable depth framing the 

 ovary, which is surmounted by a circular disk, with a more or less 

 sharply crenulate edge. The calyx is inserted around the mouth of 

 the receptacle, formed of four or five valvate triangular sepals. 

 Between these are as many little rigid linear laciniate petals, which 

 are absent in one species of the genus. 2 Inserted on the margin of 

 the disk and between its crenulations are eight or ten stamens, 

 half superposed to the sepals, and half (shorter) alternating with 

 them ; each consists of a free filament, inflexed in the bud., and 

 afterwards erect, and an introrse two-celled anther of longitudinal 

 dehiscence and tipped by a prolongation of the connective. The 

 ovary, partly inferior, is two- celled and surmounted by two subulate 

 recurved styles, stigmatose at the apex. In the ventral angle of 

 each cell is a placenta usually bearing four descending biseriate 

 ovules, subanatropous, with the micropyle upwards and outwards. 

 The fruit is dry, surmounted by the persistent accrescent calyx. The 

 endocarp is very hard, surrounded by a thin suberous mesocarp ; the 

 seed has a curved greenish embryo, surrounded by fleshy albumen. 

 The two known species are Australian shrubs, 3 with opposite glabrous 

 petiolate leaves, simple 4 or trifoliolate, accompanied by caducous in- 

 terpetiolar stipules. The flowers are grouped in axillary and ter- 

 minal pedunculate ramified cymes. 



Aphanopetahmt' derives its name from the fact that between the 

 four large foliaceous imbricated accrescent sepals are four small petals, 

 which may even be quite absent. They are inserted, like the eight 

 stamens, around a deeply cupulate receptacle, on which is inserted a 

 four-celled ovary, tapering into a style with four reflexed stigmatifer- 

 ous branches. In each cell is a single descending reniform ovule 

 with its micropyle downwards and inwards. The fruit is surrounded 

 at the base by the leafy calyx, and has only one cell containing an 

 arcuate seed, with a curved embryo surrounded by fleshy albumen. 



1 S-M..,Bot. N.-Roll., t. 3. — DC, Prodr., iv. 13. 4 In C. apetalum. Don has made it the type of 

 — Endi., Gen. n. 4651. — B. H., Gen., 651, n. 61. a section, Meridema. 



2 C. apetalum D. Don, in Bdinb. N. Phil. s Endl., in Ann. Wien. Mus., ii. (ex Gen., n. 

 Journ., ix. (1830), 94. — C. montanum D. Don, 4650); Iconogr., t. 96. — B. H., Gen., 650, n. 59. 

 loc. cit. — Platyptelea Detjmm,, in Hook. Journ., vii. 55. 



3 Benth., Fl. Austral., ii. 442.— F. Muell., 

 Fragm., vi. 189. 



