132 X ATI' UAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



connate at the base into a more or less oblique column, 5-fid ; 

 brandies outwardly canaliculate, bearing cells marginally adnate 

 distinct, extrorsely rimose ; connective apiculate or muticous. Ger- 

 men 5-locular; cells alternating with the stamens, co-ovulate; style 

 acute stigmatiferous at apex. Capsule loculicidal 5-valved; seeds oo ; 

 testa nitid crustaceous, marginally furnished with an aril, small, 

 fleshy, growing between the hilum and chalaza ; albumen fleshy ; 

 embryo interior ; cotyledons flat ; radicle short thick. — Trees or 

 shrubs, stellate-tomentose or pubescent ; leaves alternate cordate 

 iobed stipulate ; flowers pedunculate, leaf-opposed or lateral, soli- 

 tary or in small cymes ; bractlets 3, inserted below the flower 

 (Mexico, California). See p. 72. 



V. HEEMANNIE^J. 



20. Hermannia L. — Flowers regular; receptacle slightly convex. 

 Calyx gamosepalous, 5-fid valvate or slightly reduplicate. Petals 

 5 contorted marcescent or deciduous ; limbs often unequal ; claws 

 hollow, filaments sometimes connate at base, oblong or dilated 

 above, sometimes (Mahernia) attenuated at base, dilated at middle, 

 exterior sometimes papillose ; anthers extrorse ; cells rimose to a 

 greater or less distance, dehiscing from apex. Germen sessile or 

 substipitate ; cells 5, alternipetalous, co-ovulate; styles same in 

 number, more or less coalescing at base, interior concave, apex not 

 at all or slightly swollen stigmatiferous. Capsule loculicidal, 5-valved, 

 naked or horny at apex ; seeds oo reniform ; embryo arched ; coty- 

 ledons oblong. — Herbs, small shrubs, or undershrubs ; hairs usually 

 stellate ; leaves dentate or incised ; stipules foliaceous large, some- 

 times small or ; flowers in simple or compound cymes, sometimes 

 uniparous terminal, lateral, or spuriously subaxillary {Tropical and 

 Southern Africa, Arabia, Mexico, Texas). See p. 74. 



21. Melochia L. — Flowers nearly of Hermannia ; calyx sub- 

 campanulate or inflated, sometimes finally much vesiculate {Phy- 

 sodium, Physocodon). Petals 5, sometimes marcescent. Stamens 

 5 oppositipetalous ; anthers extrorse sometimes 10 ; alternipetalous 



