SAXIFRAGACEjE. 



397 



surrounded by a thick disk ; and its two-celled ovary is surmounted 

 by a pair of styles, each traversed by a longitudinal groove, the lips 

 of which widen and become re flexed, and covered with stigmatic 

 papilla? near the apex. Each cell contains usually six ovules in two 

 vertical rows, descending, with their micropyles upwards and out- 

 wards. The fruit is nearly free capsular, with two bifid valves ; it 

 contains winged descending seeds like those of Liquidambar. The 

 superior are smaller and sterile. The stamens of the male flower 

 have long slender filaments. The cells open down the edge, and 

 separate right down that side from the connective, from which they 

 then diverge like two concave valves. Two species of Bucliandia are 

 known, trees from the mountains of India and Sumatra, with knotty 

 articulated branches, alternate cordate coriaceous digitiveined petiolate 

 leaves, and two large, oval or oblong coriaceous caducous stipules 

 enveloping the young leaves and flowers, like those of Cunonia. 



XVIII. PLANE SERIES. 



We consider the Planes 1 (figs. 475-4S1) as representing the most 

 reduced arborescent type of Saxifrugacece, especially Liquidambarece. 



Platamts vulgaris (Plane tree). 



Fig. 475. Fig. 476. Fig. 477. Fig. 478. 



Male inflorescences. Male inflorescence, trans- Female inflorescences. Female inflorescence, transverse 



verse section (\). section, (I). 



The flowers are, as in that series, monoecious and grouped in 



1 T., Inst., 590, t. 363.— L., Gen., n. 896 — 

 Adans., Fam. des PI., ii. 377. — J., Gen., 410. — 



G.ebtn., Fruct., ii. 57, t. 90, fig. 5. — Lame., 

 Diet., v. 437 ; Suppl., iv. 436 ; III, t. 783.— 



