322 NATURAL WL8T0BY OF PLANTS. 



ceous ; albumen copious, fleshy ; embryo straight, radicle cylindrical 

 superior; cotyledons flat. — Small trees or shrubs; leaves alternate, 

 2-stichous, persistent ; petiole articulate at base ; stipules 2, lateral 

 caducous ; limb simple, penninerved, sometimes pellucid-punctuate ; 

 flowers in crowded unequal axillary spikes ; bracts alternate, 

 1 -flowered; bractlets 2, lateral linear, often formed like sepals and 

 usually narrower {Trop. America). See p. 282. 



V. CALANTICE^. 



26. Calantica Jaub. — Flowers hermaphrodite ; receptacle widely 

 cupuliform. Sepals 5-8, perigynously inserted at margin of recep- 

 tacle, valvate. Disk within receptacle, and outwardly dilated at 

 apex into lobes concave or marginate opposite sepals and adnate to 

 them. Petals 5-8, perigynous linear, or more rarely (Bivinia). 

 Stamens same in number, alternating with petals, perigynous, but 

 inserted a little below petals, sometimes cc {Bivinia), in alterni- 

 petalous fascicles ; filaments free ; anthers 2-locular, extrorse, 2- 

 rimose. Germen central free, 1-locular ; styles 3-6, apex stigma- 

 tiferous linear; placentas 3-6, co-ovulate. Capsule ovoicl, 3-6- 

 valved; seeds oo, inserted at middle of valve, external cottony; 

 testa crustaceous ; albumen fleshy ; embryo straight, radicle terete ; 

 cotyledons foliaceous, ovate or subcordate. — Trees ; leaves alternate, 

 petiolate, simple, glandular-serrate or crenate ; stipules small ; 

 flowers small, in compound cymiferous racemes ; bracts and bractlets 

 setaceous, often with calyx silky (UProp. Eastern Cont. and Ins. Africa). 

 See p. 284. 



27. Dissomeria Benth. 1 — Eeceptacle shortly cupuliform. Sepals 

 4, imbricate. Petals 8, series double inserted with shorter calyx, 



mbricated, persistent. Glandules same in number, alternate, peri- 

 gynous, marginate on disk. Stamens go, in oppositipetalous fascicles ; 

 filaments filiform, much pilose ; anthers subglobose. Germen sub- 

 free, hirsute, 1-locular ; styles 3, filiform, stigmatiferous at apex, 

 acute ; parietal placentas 3, 4 ; ovules a few inserted at each apex, 

 descending. Fruit "thick, coriaceous, indehiscent." — A shrub ; leaves 



i 



1 Benth., Niger, 362.— B. H., Gen., 800, n. 14. 



