383 



NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



woody receptacle. It opens at the apex into two loculicidal valves, 

 whereof the bivalve exocarp comes off from the parchmenty or horny 

 endocarp, more or less convolute about the seed. This contains 

 under its smooth crustaceous teguments 1 a fleshy albumen surrounding 

 an axile embryo with oblong leafy cotyledons. Hamamelis comprises 

 little trees, with alternate leaves closely recalling those of the HazeL 

 unsymmetrical at the base, dentate, with secondary ribs parallel to 

 the margin of the blade, and two lateral stipules to the petiole. 

 The shortly pedicellate flowers, each accompanied by a sort of 

 involucre or calycle of three or four bracts, are arranged in small groups 

 like glomeruli on the wood or in the axils of the leaves. Two species 

 are known, 2 one from Japan, the other frequently cultivated here, 

 from North America. 



Under the name of Loropetalum? a distinct genus has been made 

 of a species of Hamamelis from China and Japan/ whose anthers open 

 in a peculiar way ; and we shall make it the type of a section of 

 Hamamelis. Two lateral vertical clefts appear, one on either side of 

 the anther. Then the lips of each cleft are continued on either side 

 into a hook at both ends. Thus are formed two little flaps, which 

 separate from the rest of the anther and open like folding doors ; 

 they are somewhat unequal, the outer being the larger. This section 

 comprises one shrub with persistent leaves. 



Next to Hamamelis come Corylopsis and Dicoryphe, differing there- 

 from mainly in the form of various parts of the flower. The flowers 

 of Corylopsis 5 are polygamous, often hermaphrodite, 6 usually penta- 

 merous. The receptacle is concave, lodging a great part of the 

 ovary. On its rim are inserted five coloured sepals, five petals of 

 about equal length, and five free alternipetalous stamens. The anthers 

 open either by marginal clefts, or else, these clefts being prolonged 



1 Marked by a long umbilical cicatrix, oblique, 

 and approaching one extremity of the seed. 



2 Schkuhe, Handb., t. 27. — Duham., Arbr., 

 i. t. 114. — R. Be., in Abel's China, App., 374. — 

 Toee. & Geat, Fl. N.-Amer., i. 597. — A. Geay, 

 Man., ed. 5, 147. — Chapm., Fl. S. Unit. States, 

 156. — Olit., in Trans. Linn. Soc., xxiii. 459. — 

 Walp., Ann., vii. 936. 



3 R. Be., in Abel's Cliina, App., 375, icon. — 

 Oliv., in Trans. Linn. Soc., xxiii. 459. — B. H., 

 Gen., 668, n. 9. 



4 H. chinensis R. Be., loc. cit. — DC, Prodr., 



iv. 269, n. 3. — Plt/kn., Amalth., 32, t. 368, 

 fig. 2. 



5 Sieb. & Zucc, Fl. Jap., i. 45, t. 19, 20.— 

 Endl., Gen., n. 4589.— H. Bn., in Payer Fam. 

 Nat., 344.— B. H., Gen., 667, n. 5. 



6 In the gynseceum we find every transition 

 between ovaries that are quite sterile and empty 

 and those containing well-formed ovules. The 

 cells may be well-marked, with ovules on the 

 ventral angle, which yet do not attain full 

 development, though in some cases a nucleus and 

 its coats may be distinguished. 



