176 



NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



with prickles or bristling with hairs. In the former of these 

 genera it does not open, and presents nearly the form of a triangular 

 pyramid, the edges of which are prolonged in longitudinal wings, 

 and the surfaces muricate. Triumfetta has a globular or slightly 

 triangular fruit, or two-celled and compressed parallel to the 

 partition, and quite covered with hairs more or less rigid, sometimes 

 ciliate or feathery. Sometimes it is indehiscent, sometimes, on the 

 contrary, the cells separate from each other or open incompletely by 

 their midrib. It is seen that all these genera are distinguished by 

 the character of their fruit. They could not be so by their flowers, for 

 all have really the same calyx and the same gynseceum, and all have 

 valvate petals, the base moulding itself upon the faces of the inter- 

 nodes interposed to the androceum and the corolla, and presenting 

 at this height a more or less concave and glandular plate, often 

 edged with a fine down. This organ becomes little noticeable in 

 Vasivcea, and only exists in the male flowers, for in these the andro- 

 ceum is borne by a short column, but at some distance from the 

 corolla, while the gyna>ceum is nearly sessile in the female flower. 

 By the separation of the sexes on different stalks this genus recalls 

 Cardodiptera, the dioecious type of Broivnloiuiece, to which the other 

 characters are mostly very analogous. 



ProcJcia cruris. 



III. PROCKIA SERIES. 



Proclria} (figs. 197, 198) have regular hermaphrodite flowers, 

 rarely constructed upon four or five part types, generally upon the 



three part. In the latter case the 

 slightly convex receptacle bears 

 first three free sepals, valvate- 

 reduplicate in the bud. Then come 

 three alternate petals of nearly the 

 saVne consistence and colour as 

 the sepals, large, imbricated in the 

 Fig. 198. \>u<\, or only represented by narrow 



Fig. 197. 

 Flower (^). Long. sect, of flower. 



tongues 



not even touching by 



1 P. Bb., ex L., Gen., n. G17.— Adans., Fatn. v. 625 ; JU., t. 465. — DC, Prodr., i. 260. — 

 ties PL, ii. 422. — J., Gen., 340. — Lamk., Diet., Endl., Gen., n. 5072. — CLOS.,in Ann. Sc. Nat., 



