462 NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



inferior terete ; cotyledons subequal to radicle, oblong, sometimes of 

 unequal lengths. — Trees, sometimes small; bark scaly broadly 

 denuded; leaves alternate ; petiole concealing axillary bud in 

 conical hollow at dilated base; stipules 2 connate in 1, cyathiform, 

 unequal-2-fid at dilated apex, closely surrounding twig at tubular 

 base above insertion of petiole ; limb lobed palmiveined ; flowers 

 (precocious) capitate ; capitula globose, 1-sexual (rarely polygamous), 

 1 or few along distinct twig ; capituliferous twigs terminal cernuous 

 {North America, Middle Asia). See p. 397. 



XIX. MYOSURANDREzE. 



107. Myosurandra H. Bn. — Flowers dioecious bare spicate, 

 4-merous. Male flower : stamens 4 (2 lateral) ; filaments free 

 inserted in minute receptacle, slender elongated, finally nutant ; 

 anthers 2-celled, introrse, 4-locellate, 2-rimose ; connective produced 

 to a beak. Rudiment of germen 0. Female flower : germen free 

 sessile, elongate-4-furrowed, 4-celled ; cells 2, lateral, at apex free 

 divaricated and tapering to slender recurved style, stigmatose and 

 longitudinally furrowed within. Ovules go , 2-seriate along ventral 

 angle, obliquely ascending, anatropous ; micropyle extrorse in- 

 ferior. Fruit 4-follicular ; follicles more or less connate at internal 

 angle, longitudinally dehiscent inwards, oo -seeded. Seeds small 

 descending ; albumen copious ; cotyledons of small axile embryo 

 short inferior. — A glabrous balsamic-resinous shrub ; branches 

 virgate knotted ; leaves opposite, connate at base to a free cylindrical 

 sheath ; stipules (?) 4, subulate, inserted in pairs in top of sheath ; 

 blade flabellate-cuneiform, at apex crenate or obtusely dentate, longi- 

 tudinally folded; spikes terminal solitary; bracts opposite, 1 -flowered; 

 bractlets 2, lateral sterile {Madagascar). See p. 400. 



108. Myrothamnus Welw. — Flowers dioecious, spicate (nearly 

 of Myosurandra) ; males 3-8-, usually 5-androus ; filaments 1- 

 adelphous into a central erect column. Female flowers generally 

 3-merous ; 2 cells posterior ; styles subspathulate revolute. Capsule 

 small coriaceous ; carpels divaricated at apex, longitudinally dehis- 



