•j.-,;, 



NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



Beside Sami/da is placed Guidonia (figs. 307-309), distinguished 

 by a receptacular cup generally more extended, and perigynous sta- 

 mens, from live to fifteen or twenty in number, united among them- 

 selves, and with an equal number of glandular or petaloid tongues, 

 alternating with them, and often covered with hairs. The whole 



Guidonia ilicifolia. 



Fig. 307. 

 Flower (^). 



Fig. 308. 

 Diagram. 



Fig. 309. 

 Longitudinal section of flower. 



of this combination frees itself from the single envelope of the flower 

 at a greater or less height. The ovary contains three or four parietal 

 pluriovulate placentas. The flowers in this genera are solitary, or 

 more generally united in cymes, often umbelliferous. In Osmelia, 

 consisting of Asiatic plants, the flowers are disposed in slender 

 racemes, and have from eight to ten stamens, united with an equal 

 number of villous tongues. 



In Eucercea there are eight stamens and eight alternate tongues 

 bearded at the summit ; but the stigma is represented at the apex 

 of the ovary by four or six sessile rays, and there are only one or 

 two ascendent ovules in the ovary. The flowers are numerous on 

 axillary ramified spikes. Lunania, nearly allied to the preceding 

 genera, is immediately distinguished from it, inasmuch as the 

 flowers, disposed in long spikes, have a membranous valvate calyx, 

 which is irregularly torn at anthesis, stamens with extrorse anthers, 

 and in their intervals glands with which they are united below into 

 a single cup, glandular and thick, often glabrous, sometimes bifid. 

 Tetrathylacium, which appears allied to the preceding genera, has 

 four stamens alternate with the imbricated sepals, without inter- 

 vening tongues, the flowers being collected in ramified spikes. 



Pyemia (figs. 31 0-313) has great affinity with the preceding genera, 

 although it has been generally placed in a totally different group — 

 that of Passiflorees. It has quite the vegetative organs of certain spe- 

 cies of Guidonia, and a slightly concave receptacle upon the edges of 



