PHYTOLACCACEJE. 



Monococcus echinophorus 1 is an Australian plant, whose vegetative 

 organs, infloresence and floral organization form a type nearly allied 

 to Petiveria? It differs from the latter inasmuch as its flowers are 

 polygamous (and that often in the same inflorescence, where female 

 flowers are placed below and male ones at the summit, while some 

 hermaphrodite flowers are found between the two) ; the stamens also, 

 whose summits incline downwards, are often as many as ten or 

 twelve in number; the fruit, larger and shorter, has hooked prickles not 

 only towards the summit but upon the whole surface in great num- 

 bers ; finally its embryo, constructed moreover like that of Petiveria, 

 but with cotyledons less dissimilar, is accompanied by a much more 

 abundant albumen. 



Seguieria floribunda. 



Fig. 53. 

 Flower (±). 



11 



Fig. 54. 

 Longitudinal section of flower. 



Fig. 55. 

 Gynaeceuin (^). 



Seguieria 3 (figs. 53-57) is analogous to the preceding genera in the 

 organization of the gynseceum, reduced also to a single carpel ; 

 but the fruit and the seed present rather striking differences, 

 while the androceum is always composed of a large number of 

 stamens. The calyx is regular, composed of five, more rarely of six 

 sepals, imbricated in the bud. The stamens are nearly hypogynous, 

 formed of a free filament and of an anther with two lateral cells, 

 often becoming slightly extrorse, or even introrse, dehiscing by 

 clefts near the edges. The free one-celled ovary only encloses one 

 subbasilar campylotropal ovule with micropyle looking downwards 

 and almost in front ; it is surmounted by a flattened style, forming 



1 Fragm. Phyt. Austral., i. 47.— Benth., Fl. 

 Austral., v. 144. 



2 Of which it could scarcely constitute simply 

 a section. 



3 Lcefl., It., 191.— L., Gen., n. 676.— Adans., 



Fam. des PI., ii. 443. — J., Gen., 440.— Endi., 

 Gen., n. 5254. — MoQ., Prodr., 6. — Seguiera 

 Poie., Diet., vii. 52 ; Suppl., v. 124. — Spkeng., 

 Syst., ii. 605. 



