526 



NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



sterile squamiform inflexed in female flower. Achene lenticular- 

 compressed subinflated, clothed in persistent calyx. Embryo of 

 erect seed sparingly albuminous ; cotyledons flat-convex ; radicle 

 short. — A herb ; aspect of Pilea ; leaves decussately opposite, petio- 

 late equilateral, dentate, 3-costate ; stipules axillary ; flowers of both 

 sexes in the same glomerulus ; glomeruli 1 -lateral subspicate in long- 

 pedunculate sparingly branching cymes ; pedicels of male flowers 

 articulate; female flowers subsessile, bracteolate at base 1 (Java-). 



16. Lecanthus Wedd. 3 — Mowers monoecious or dioecious. Male 

 calyx 4, 5-partite ; segments petaloid a little unequal, gibbous- 

 cucullate at back ; bud obconical. Stamens as many. Female calyx 

 3-partite or 3-phyllous ; leaves in fertile flowers, rather flat denticu- 

 late, in sterile more or less cucullate. Rudiments of stamens scale- 

 shaped inflexed, in sterile flowers often subequal to perianth. 

 Germen ovate nearly straight compressed ; ovule erect ; funicle 

 short ; stigma sessile penicillate, soon disappearing. Achene ovate- 

 subcompressed straight striate. Albumen of erect seed rather thick ; 

 cotyledons elliptical longer than conical radicle. — An annual Kerb ; 

 leaves petiolate opposite, in the same pair unequally large, equi- 

 lateral, usually serrate, 3-ribbed, spreading ; cystoliths linear ; 

 stipules axillary ; flowers 4 inserted in discoid peltate or campanulate 

 receptacle ; receptacles exinvolucrate axillary solitary pedunculate, 

 1-sexual ; male capitula sometimes very small ; s flowers generally 

 pedicelate, ebracteate ; female receptacle denticulate at edge ; fertile 

 and sterile flowers intermingled 6 {East India, Tropical east and tvest 

 Africa 1 ). 



1 " A genus distinct from Pilea by its poly- 

 gamous flowers and female perigonium, like the 

 male 5-partite, not 3-partite." (Wedd.) 



a Spec. 1. A. javanica Bl., loc. cit. — Miq., 

 Fl. Ind. Bat., i. p. ii. 238. — Pilea subpuberula 

 Miq., in Zoll. et Mor. Verz., 105; Fl. Ind. 

 Bat., i. p. ii. 236. — Wedd., Monogr., 244. 



3 In Ann. Sc. Nat., ser. 4, i. 187 ; Monogr., 

 279, t. 9, C ; Prodr., 164. 



4 Males whity-brown ; females green. 



5 Counterfeiting flower. 



6 Differing from Flatostema in its at 

 first sight decussate leaves, from Pilea in its 

 capitate flowers. 



' Spec. 1. L. peduncularis Wedd., Prodr. — 

 L. Wightii Wedd., in Ann. Sc. Nat., loc. cit. ; 

 Monogr., 280. — L. major Wedd., loc. cit. — 

 Miq., Fl. Ind. Bat., i. p. ii. 238.— Procris 

 obtusa Rotle, Til. Rimal., t. 83, figs. 2, 3. — P. 

 peduncularis Wall., Cat., n. 4634 (part.). — 

 Flatostema ovatum Wight, Icon., t. 1985. — E. 

 ojppositifolium Dalz., in Hook. Journ., iii. 179. 



