CISTACEJt. 331 



praefloration in the bud. 1 The petals, the same in number, are alter- 

 nate, opposite, or in an intermediate position, 2 sessile or nearly so, 

 contorted in the bud ; 3 the whole forms a rosaceous corolla, which 

 falls very soon after opening. The androceum is composed of an 

 indefinite number of hypogynous stamens, with free filaments and 

 anthers dehiscing by two longitudinal clefts, marginal or slightly 

 introrse. 4 The free superior gynseceum is formed of a sessile one- 

 celled ovary, with five parietal placentas superposed to the sepals, 

 and more or less prominent in the interior of the cell. 5 Each pla- 

 centa bears an indefinite number of ovules, orthotropous or nearly 

 so, 6 each provided with a more or less elongated funicle. The ovary 

 is surmounted by a style of variable length, the summit being 

 swollen and charged with stigmatic papilla?. 7 The fruit, accompanied 

 at its base by the persistent calyx, is a capsule which separates at 

 maturity into five valves, and opens from above downwards by five 

 clefts more or less prolonged. Each valve bears within upon the 

 midrib a polyspermous placenta. The seeds contain under their 

 coats 8 a farinaceous or subcartilaginous albumen, surrounded by an 

 excentric embryo, with radicle opposite the hilum, and cotyledons 

 more or less large and flat, spirally rolled. The Cistuses proper 9 are 

 frutescent or suffrutescent plants, often bearing soft and viscous 

 hairs. The leaves are generally opposite, principally in the lower 

 parts of the plant, simple, entire, exstipulate. The flowers are ter- 

 minal or solitary, or more usually grouped at the summit of the 

 branches in few-flowered cymes ; the corolla is pink or rather 

 purple. 



1 The sepals 1 and 2 are quite exterior. The distinguished from these, and should not be 

 three others, considered by some as the only confounded with them. 



sepals, are besides contorted at a certain age. 6 The funicle is inserted either at the base of 



Sometimes the calyx is accidentally formed of the ovule or at a greater or less height on 



two series of three leaves each. the sides. The ovule has a double coat. 



2 Space: admitted " the petals never alternate That of C. creticus has been described by J. 

 with the sepals." Pater in the species observed G-. Agardh (Theor. Syst. Plant., t. 16, figs. 

 by him, has seen, he says, an exact alternation. 17—19). 



Planchon has confirmed both the accounts, the ' The style is a tube dilated towards its apex, 



latter being the less frequent. The summits of the placentas spread over the 



3 The direction of the twisting is often interior of the tube in the form of narrow bands 

 opposite in the corolla and calyx ; but this is far alternating with the ovary cells, and finish by 

 from being constant. dilating a little in as many stigmatiferous lobes. 



4 The pollen of the Cistacecs which have been 8 It is composed of three layers, the middle 

 studied, is ellipsoidal with three folds, and in one being the least resistant and most coloured, 

 water spherical with three papillae. (H. Mohl, 9 Sect. Eucistus. — Gen. Cistus Spach, loc. 

 in Ann. Sc. Nat., ser. 2, iii. 329.) cit., 367. This section should include the 



5 Spach has seen that the placentas adnate to Erythrocistus of Dunal, except C. symphyti' 

 the edge of the partitions "are very clearly folius. 



