VRTICACEM. 523 



inserted under globose or obovoid rudiment of pistil. Calyx of 

 female flower 3, 4-phyllous ; sepals obovate cucullate rather fleshy. 

 Hypogynous staminodes 3, 4, oppositisepalous, minute or 0. Germen 

 ovate, shorter than calyx ; apex stigmatose long penicillate, soon 

 evanescent ; ovule subbasilar ; funicle very short. Fruit ovate or 

 elliptical subbaccate striolate-painted, covered with persistent fleshy 

 calyx ; capitulum finally fragariiform when fruiting. Cotyledons of 

 sparingly albuminous or exalbuminous turbinate embryo broadly 

 elliptical, longer than conical radicle. — Succulent shrubs or under- 

 shrubs, almost erect or ascending, usually glabrous; leaves 2- 

 stichous inequilateral, and very unequal in size (each larger leaf 

 alternating with a very small bracteiform or abortive one), entire or 

 sinuate penniveined ; cystoliths very small linear ; stipules entire 

 axillary ; male flowers in glomeruli (rarely capituliform) ; females 

 densely inserted in fleshy globose or clavate receptacle ; cymes and 

 capitula solitary ; females sessile or pedunculate ; male pedicels 

 ebracteate ; female bracts linear-spathulate, often glandular at apex 

 {Tropical Africa, Asia, and Oceania). See p. 500. 



12. Elatostema Forst. 1 — Flowers monoecious or dioecious. Male 

 calyx 4, 5-partite ; segments mucronate below apex. Stamens 4, 5 ; 

 filaments more or less adnate to calyx at base ; anthers oblong. 

 Rudiment of gynseceum conical, clavate or glabrous. Female calyx 

 3- or more rarely 4, 5-phyllous, or very small or imperfect, segments 

 lanceolate or linear-subulate, sometimes ciliate. Germen ellipsoid ; 

 ovule erect ; funicle short ; stigma sessile, bearing a brush of 

 papilla? or hairs, soon evanescent. Achene ovate or elliptical rather 

 compressed, smooth, more rarely furrowed, often punctulate-painted ; 

 pericarp thin fragile ; embryo of erect seed exalbuminous or spar- 

 ingly albuminous ; cotyledons elliptical of nearly same length as 

 thick radicle. — Undershrubs or more often perennial or annual 

 herbs ; leaves distichous subopposite or more often (by abortion 

 of one of each pair) alternate, inequilateral (edge of narrower side of 

 limb looking upwards), entire or variously dentate, 3-pli- or penni- 



1 Char. Gen., 53.— J., Gen., 403. — Gattdich., Procris Spkeng., Syst., in, 846 (nee Commers., 

 Toy. Uran„ Bot., 493. — Exdl., Gen., n. 1880. — nee G^udich.). — Langeveldia Gaudich., lop. 

 Wedd., Monogr., 290, t. 9, c, 10 ; Prodr., 171.— cit. 



