396 NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



the axis of the capitulum, lodging the greater part of the ovary. 

 This has two multiovulate cells, complete or incomplete, and is sur- 

 mounted by two styles, recurved and stigmatiferous at the apex. 

 The ovules are descending and anatropous. The fruit consists of a 

 large number of capsules, framed in the now woody common recep- 

 tacle. Each one opens septicidally in its upper free part ; the valves 

 crowned by the indurated bases of the styles separate to free the 

 numerous winged seeds. These are flattened, expanding into a 

 membranous wing at the micropylar end, and contain in their coats 

 an embryo with ellipsoidal cotyledons, three-ribbed at the base, and 

 a superior cylindro-conoidal radicle. Liquidambar comprises three 

 species, 1 all trees gorged with balsamic resinous juice ; one inhabits 

 North America, another Asia Minor, and the third Batavian India. 

 Their leaves are caducous, alternate, petiolate, palmatilobate, with 

 glandular teeth, and accompanied by glandular stipules. The female 

 inflorescences are solitary, pedunculate at the ends of the branches 

 or in the axils of the upper leaves ; the males are usually spicate or 

 racemose. At the base of each capitulum is an involucre of three or 

 four unequal bracts. 



Under the name of Altingia 2 have been described two other species 

 from India and Malaysia, differing from the preceding in that their 

 leaves are oval or oblong persistent, with persistent or caducous 

 stipules, while the fruits are muticous, owing to the fall of the 

 styles, and the inflorescences have but one or two bracts at the base. 

 "We shall make of these two Asiatic species 3 only a section of the 

 genus Liquidambar. 



BucMandia* approaches Liquidambar very closely. Its flowers are 

 polygamous, capitulate. The calycinal ring is more prominent, gene- 

 rally incised into five thick obtuse lobes. Inside we find, in the 

 female and hermaphrodite flowers, four or more narrow linear 

 tongues, described as either petals or sterile stamens. The gynse- 

 ceum, which is free to a far greater extent than in Liquidambar, is 



1 Michx., Arbr., iii. t. 4. — Bl., Fl. Jav., Sedgiciclcia Griff., in Asiat. Res., xix. 98, t. 15, 

 Balsam., 6, t. 1, 2 ; in Ann. Sc. Nat., ser. 2, ii. 16. — Endl., Gen., n. 4595. 



91.— Nebs, PI. Off., Suppl., ii. t. 12.— Miq., Fl. 3 Bl., Fl. Jav., Balsam., t. 1, 2 (Liquid- 



Ind.-Bat., i. add., 1097. — A. DC, Prodr., xvi. ambar). — Seem.. Bot. Herald, t. 94; in Bon- 



157 (part.). — (Erst., Amer. Centr., fasc. i. t. 10, plandia, loc. cit. (Liquidambar, section I.). 



11. — Seem., in Bonplandia, v. 104-122, 126, 4 R. Br., in Wall. Cat., n. 7414.— Griff., in 



not. — Walp., Ann., vii. 936. Asiat. Res., xix. t. 13, 14. — Endl., Gen., n. 



2 Noronh., in Verb. Bat. Genootsch., v. 41. — 4594. — H. Bn., in Payer Fam. Nat., 345. 



H. Bn., in Payer Fa^. Nat., 346.— A. DC, B. H., Gen,, 668, n. 13. 

 Prodr., xvi. 157.— B. H., Gen., 669, u. 14.— 



