448 NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



cave obconical. Sepals 4, 5, inserted in margin, 3 -angular, valvate. 

 Petals as many alternate, linear laciniate, or 0. Stamens 8-10, 

 2-seriate ; filaments inserted with perianth around epigynous disk, 

 inflexed, finally erect; anthers introrse 2-rimose. Germen to a 

 great extent inferior, adnate to receptacle, 2-celled ; styles 2, subu- 

 late recurved, stigmatose at apex. Ovules few (usually 4) 2-seriate 

 in internal angle of cells, descending. Fruit dry crowned by accrete 

 calyx; mesocarp thin suberous ; endocarp very hard. Seed 1, 

 descending ; albumen fleshy ; embryo curved. — Shrubs ; leaves 

 opposite glabrous petiolate, simple or 3-foliolate; stipules inter- 

 petiolar, caducous ; flowers in branching terminal and axillary 

 pedunculate cymes {Australia). See p. 375. 



72. Aphanopetalum Endl. — Receptacle very short cupuliform ; 

 sepals 4, decussate, membranous or subcoriaceous veined, enlarged 

 after anthesis, imbricate, persistent. Petals 4, alternate very small 

 linear or lanceolate, or 0. Stamens 8, slightly perigynous ; fila- 

 ments free ; anthers oblong introrse, 2-celled, 2-rimose. Germen 

 nearly free, 4-furrowed ; cells 4, alternating with sepals ; style erect, 

 4-furrowed ; apex divided into 4 reflexed lobes, stigmatiferous within. 

 Ovules solitary in each cell, descending from rather thick funicle 

 inserted at top of internal angle ; micropyle introrse superior. Fruit 

 nucamentaceous, involucrate by accrete calyx, 1 -celled. Seed 1, 

 reniform ; integuments thick ; albumen fleshy ; embryo curved 

 glabrous. — Voluble shrubs ; leaves opposite simple ; stipules small 

 or ; flowers axillary or cymose pedunculate ; pedicels 2-bracteolate 

 half way up {Eastern Temperate Australia). See p. 375. 



73. Anodopetalum A. Cunn. — Flowers nearly of Plati/lopus, 

 4, 5-merous; stamens 8-10, or more rarely (owing to some alterni- 

 petalous being geminate) 12-15; filaments inserted under disk or 

 edge of disk ; connective of anthers produced at apex, subulate. 

 Germen superior; styles 2, diverging; cells 2, 2- or pauciovulate ; 

 ovules descending subanatropous. Fruit fleshy oblong, inde- 

 hiscent (?), 1 -seeded. Seed descending... ? — A glabrous tree ; leaves 

 opposite petiolate simple serrate ; stipules interpetiolar lanceolate ; 

 flowers axillary solitary or few cymose, 2-bracteolate {Tasmania). 

 See p. 376. 



