SAXIFBAGACE^J. 



379 



The fruit is dry, indehiscent ; it contains in either cell a single 

 descending seed, whose fleshy embryo is said to be exalbuminous. 1 



Codia montana. 



^MMm?,- 





XIV. CODIA SERIES. 



Codia 2 (fig. 452) may be regarded as consisting of Cunoniece with 

 an inferior ovary and capitulate flowers. The receptacle forms a 

 hollow cone, 3 on the rim of which are inserted 

 four or five valvate sepals. Between these are 

 as many narrow slender petals (which may be 

 absent). The androceum consists of two 

 whorls of stamens, inserted like the perianth, 

 each formed of a slender free filament and 

 an introrse didymous two-celled anther of longi- 

 tudinal dehiscence. The ovary, quite inferior 

 or nearly so, has two cells, complete or in- 

 complete, each containing in its ventral angle 

 two collateral descending anatropous ovules, 

 with their micropyles turned upwards and 

 outwards. It is surmounted by two diverging styles, stigmatiferous 

 at the apex. The fruit is an achene ; and the seed contains a small 

 layer of fleshy albumen around the embryo. Codia embraces 

 some five or six species of shrubs from New Caledonia. 4 The leaves 

 are opposite simple and petiolate, with large usually caducous 

 stipules. The capitula are axillary pedunculate globular, surrounded 

 by an involucre of variable development, often formed of four bracts. 

 Each flower 5 is itself axillary to a little bract. 



Next to Codia come the two closely allied genera Panc/ieria, 6 and 

 Callicoma, which have the same inflorescences of globular pedunculate 



Fig. 452. 

 Inflorescence. 



1 In this character, and that of its stipules, 

 this genus comes very near Rosacea, whereof, 

 however, it has scarcely the perianth and sexual 

 organs. F. Mueller thinks it akin to Gumillea 

 and Spirceopsis. 



2 Foest., Char. Gen., 59, t. 30.— DC, Prodr., 

 iv. 7.— D. Don, in Fdinb. N. Phil. Journ., ix. 

 93. — Endl., Gen., n. 4647. — H. Bn., in Adan- 

 soma, v. 296.— B. H., Gen., 649, n. 53. 



3 Its outer layer bears a copious down, and 



easily conies off from the deeper layers at a certain 

 age. 



4 Labill., Serf. Austro-Caled., 45, t. 46. — 

 Ad. Be. & Ge., in Pull. Soc. Pot. de Fr., ix. 

 76 ; in Ann. Sc. Nat., ser. 5, i. 377. 



5 Whitish. 



6 Ad. Be. & Ge., in Pull. Soc. Pot. de Fr., 

 ix. 74; in Ann. Sc. Nat., ser. 5, i. 374; in Nouv. 

 Arch, du Mus., iv. 27, t. 11 (nee Monteouz.).— 

 B. H., Gen., 649, n. 54. 



