502 NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



symmetrical leaves, 5 very unequal, a large leaf usually alternating 

 with another that is very small, bract-like and abortive. All are 

 sprinkled with linear cystoliths. The flowers are collected into little 

 axillary glomerules, grouped in cymes or more rarely capitula in the 

 males. The female glomerules are collected on a common fleshy 

 receptacle, globular or clavate ; so that the inflorescence is the same 

 as in several Artocarpece. 



Next to Proem come two other allied genera : Elatostema has a 

 triphyllous female perianth shorter than the ovary, with a usually 

 involucrate capitulum ; Pettionia has cymose flowers, with five sepals 

 mucronate below the apex in the females ; Pilea, Achudemia, and 

 Lecanthus form a group apart with opposite decussate leaves. The 

 flowers of Lecanthus are grouped on a discoidal or concave recep- 

 tacle ; they are cymose or glomerulate in the other two genera. But 

 the females are pentamerous in Achudemia, trimerous in Pilea ; the 

 perianth of the latter is irregular, one of the sepals being larger than 

 the rest and gibbous. 



III. BCEHMEEIA SERIES. 



Bcehmcria' (fig. 541) has unisexual flowers, monoecious or dioecious. 

 The males, analogous to those of a Nettle, have a valvate calyx, 

 more or less deeply quadrifid, rarely tri- or quinquefid, with as 

 many superposed stamens inserted below a clavate or subglobular 

 gynseceum, glabrous or heavy at the base. The female perianth is 

 gamophyllous saccate or tubular, contracted towards the mouth, 

 which is incised into from two to four teeth. In this sac, and some- 

 times adherent to it, is a gyna?ceum formed as in Urtica* The ovary 

 contains a single ovule, orthotropous and suberect or ascending, and 

 tapers above into a usually persistent filiform style, bearing stig- 



1 Weddell has noticed that the Urticacece 1884; Icon., t. 86. — Wedd., Monogr., 343, t. 

 with unsymmetrical leaves differ from other orders 11; Prodr., 195.— Duretia Gaudich., Pot). 

 in that, while one half of the hlade tapers in a point Uran., Pot., 499. — Splitgerbera MlQ., Coram. 

 towards the base, and the other is much larger, Phyt., 134. 



rounded or even projecting into an auricle, it 3 But it seems to stick to the calyx, not to be 



is the former half, not the latter, that is on the inserted in its concavity like a truly inferior ovary 



side of the leaf turned towards the parent branch. in its sacciform receptacle ; a slight traction will 



2 Jacq., Stirp. Airier., 216. — J., Gen., 403. — separate it. 

 PoiK.j Diet., Suppl., i. 617. — Endl., Gen., n. 



