278 



NJTUR. I L HIB T( > E Y OF PLANTS. 



Xylosma Paliurus. 



lodged in the vertical furrows of the disk. The single ovary cell 

 encloses from six to eight ovules, inserted nearly at its summit. In 

 Lcetia, the petaloid sepals are, on the contrary, much imbricated, and 



the ovary has three parietal plurio- 

 vulate placentas, and a single style 

 with swollen stigmatiferous apex, en- 

 tire or slightly three-lobed. Herma- 

 phrodite in the two latter genera, in 

 Idesia the flowers are dioecious, as in 

 Dovyalis and Trimeria, their recep- 

 tacle enlarged into a kind of plate, 

 recalling the cup-shape which it takes 

 in the Samydea. Upon its edges it 

 bears an imbricated calyx, and more 

 internally, stamens in great number, 

 with a small rudimentary gynseceum 

 in the centre. In the female flowers 

 this becomes fertile, with from three to six pluriovulate placentas, 

 a similar number of styles divergent from the base, and a fleshy 

 indehiscent fruit, the numerous seeds lodged in a soft pulp. 1 



Fig. 301. 

 Female flower (&). 



Fig. 302. 

 Long. sect, of 

 female flower. 



III. SAMYDA SEEIES. 



Samydcc (figs. 303-306), which has given its name to this group, 

 does not represent, as we shall presently see, the most perfect type of 

 it. These are, we may say, perigynous Flacouriiea, with regular, 

 hermaphrodite, and apetalous flowers. The receptacle has the form 

 of a cup more or less elongated into a tube, bearing on its edges a 

 petaloid perianth, 3 continuous with it, the five divisions being dis- 

 posed in the bud in quincuncial prsefloration : there are rarely four or 



1 The genus Streptothamnus (F. Muell., 

 Fragm. Phyt. Austral., iii. 27; — Benth., Fl. 

 Austral., i. 108 ;—B. H., Gen., 972, r. 7 «) 

 has been ascribed doubtfully to this group. It 

 is incompletely known, having flowers with five 

 imbricated sepals and petals, numerous stamens 

 with apiculate anthers, and an ovary with 

 parietal multiovulate placentas, surmounted by 

 a style with peltate stigmatiferous extremity. 

 The fruit is a polyspenuous berry with albu- 

 minous seeds. The two known species are 



voluble, with alternate entire triuerved leaves 

 and axillary solitary flowers. 



2 L., Gen., n. 543.— J., Gen., 439.— G;eetn. 

 f., Frvct., iii. 239, t. 224.— Poib., Diet., vi. 

 487; Suppl., v. 81. — Lamk., Ill, t. :;55.— DC, 

 Prodr., ii. 47. — Tukp. in Jjict. Sc. Nat., AU., 

 t. 245, 216.— Endl., Gen., n. 5059.— Payer, 

 Fam, Nat., 93.— B. IT., Gen., 791, n. 5.— 

 Sadymia Geiseb., Fl. Brit. W.-Ind., 25. 



3 White, pink, or greenish. 



