TB.YTOLAGGAGEM. 45 



lobes, of which the two lateral are narrower and longer than the 

 other two. 1 More internally are found, in the male flowers, eight or 

 nine stamens reduced to subsessile anthers, erect, with two lateral 

 cells dehiscing by a longitudinal and marginal cleft. In the female 

 flowers there is but one free gynseceum ; the ovary has two lateral 

 uniovulate cells and is surmounted by a style with two thick fleshy 

 branches stigmatiferous within. The ovule is ascendant with 

 inferior and exterior micropyle. The fruit is dry, with two compressed 

 cells separating from the central columella and opening lengthwise 

 by their exterior edge to let an ascendant reniform arillate 2 seed 

 escape, partly surrounded by a fornicate embryo with inferior radicle. 

 The Didymothecas, of which only one species is known, 3 are small 

 suffrutescent Australian and Tasmanian plants, with slender erect 

 branches, bearing alternate, simple, narrow, entire leaves, 4 accom- 

 panied by two small glandular stipules. They are succeeded by 

 bracts towards the summit of the branches, each presenting in its 

 axil a small flower with short pedicel. The bracts have also two 

 small glandular stipules 5 at the base. 



E. Brown 6 established in 1818 a special family for Phytolacca and 

 the neighbouring genera. Before this the greater part of the known 

 genera were connected with Chenopodacece. A. L. de Jussieu, 7 for 

 example, placed in his order of Arroches {Oraches), Phytolacca, Rivina, 

 Petiveria. Moreover he placed GisecJcia and Limeum among the 

 Portulaccacece? and left Seyuieria in the Genera inserts sedis. 9 End- 

 licher 10 ranged in his order of Phytolaccacece, Seyuieria, Petiveria, 

 Mohlana, Rivina, Limeum, Giesekia, Phytolacca, Er cilia, also Semon- 

 villea, a section of Limeum and Microtea, which ought rather to be 



1 These last are entire, or more or less un- * Spotted with small white specks which ap- 

 equally parted into two teeth or secondary pear to be cystolites. 



lobes. 5 Described as lateral bractlets by a great 



2 The aril has for starting point a thickening number of authors, but identical with the bracts 

 of the exostome, which is produced even before of the leaves. 



anthesis. (See Adansonia, x. 161.) 6 Obs. Herb. Congo, 35; Misc. Works (ed. 



3 B.thesioides Hook. F., loc. cit. 279; Fl. Benn.), i. 138 (Phytolacca). 

 Tasm., i. 309, t. 93.— Moq., loc. cit.,Zl.— Benth., ? Qen. (1789), 83, Ord. 6. 

 Fl. Austral., v .145.— D.Brummondii Moq., loc. 8 Op. cit., 314, Ord. 4. 

 cit., n. 2. — D. veroniciformis F. Mr/ELL., in 9 Op. cit., 440. 



Linncea, xxv. 438. 10 Gen., 975, Ord. 208 (1840). 



