SAXIFRAGACE^E. 393 



polyandrous subachlamydeous Hamamelis. The receptacle is con- 

 cave, subcampanulate, and its rim is thickened and irregularly 

 crenulate, thus forming* the sole representative of the calyx. 1 In the 

 bottom is a half inferior ovary, with a solitary ovule in each cell, 

 twisted as in Hamamelis, with its superior micropyle on one side. 2 

 The free perigynous stamens are unequal, and all belong to one 

 verticil, despite their number. Each consists of a clavate filament, 

 and a basifixed anther, opening at first by two lateral clefts. Later 

 on their lips are reflexed into half-valves, as in Loropetalum, Par- 

 rotia, &c. The capsule and seeds are nearly those of Hamamelis. 

 Fothergilla has alternate simple leaves, with two little lateral 

 stipules. Its flowers develop before the leaves come out in terminal 

 spikes, in early spring. In the spikes alternate approximated bracts 

 succeed the young leaves ; the lowermost are sterile ; higher up 

 they are axillant to usually male flowers, and still higher are gene- 

 rally the hermaphrodites. 



JDisanthis cercidifolius 3 is a Japanese tree, with alternate, petiolate, 

 orbiculate-cordate leaves, and scarious caducous stipules. The 

 flowers are in pairs at the apex of little axillary peduncles, and 

 form, as it were, a little capitulum, with very short bracts at the 

 base. The receptacle is concave, and the perianth closely analogous 

 to that of Hamamelis. The sepals are scarious and much imbricate, 

 like the petals, which form very long triangles, tapering at the 

 apex. The five stamens have a short filament and an anther, with 

 two ovoid extrorse cells, each opening by a dorsal cleft, the outer 

 margin of which is then bent outwards. The dicarpcllary gymeceum 

 resembles that of the preceding genera ; but in the ventral angle of 

 each cell we usually find two series of descending ovules, usually 

 three ovules in each row. The fruit is loculicidal and many-seeded. 



jR/iodoleia 4 has irregular subachlamydeous hermaphrodite flowers ; 

 they are formed of a nearly free gynseceum, surrounded by a certain 

 number 5 of free stamens, around which we see only a little irregular 



1 The superficial part of the receptacle has vi. 20 ; in Ann. So. Nat., ser. 5, vii. 379. — B. H., 

 often been described as a calyx tube, adherent to Gen., 1005, n. 6(18. 



the ovary. 4 Hook., in Bot. Mag., t. 4509. — Miq., in 



2 It was at first ventral. The ovule has two Versl. e Meded. d. K. Ale. Wet. Nat., vi. 122. — 

 coats. H. Bn., in Adansonia, iii. 176. — B. H., Gen., 



3 Maxim., Mel. Biol., in Bull. Acad. Petersb., 668, n. 12.— Lem. & Dcne., Tr. Gen., 258. 



5 Six or more. 



