342 



XATIJIAL HISTORY OF PLAXTS. 



embryo surrounded by a fleshy albumen. These are trees of tropical 

 America; (bur or five species of them are known. 1 The leaves are 

 alternate, simple, entire, accompanied by two lateral stipules ; the 

 flowers are disposed in spikes or racemes at the summits of the 

 branches, and the axils of the leaves. 



Amphirrow (figs. 356, 357) only differs from Paypayrola by its 

 stamens, the filaments of which are free, and the anthers sur- 

 mounted by a pointed prolongation of the connective. Jsodendrion, 

 consisting of shrubs from the Sandwich Isles, have the free stamens 

 of Amphirrox, and the non-apiculate anthers of Paypayrola. The 

 stigmatiferous summit of their style projects on one side, instead of 

 being terminal j the placentas support two or four ovules each, and 

 there is no deduplication of the pericarp at maturity. 



Binorea (figs. 358-362) maybe considered as the type of a distinct 

 subseries, because the regular or slightly irregular corolla is formed 



Jiinorea physiphora. 



Fig. 358. 

 Flower (§). 



Fig. 360. 

 Stamen, internal face. 



Fig. 359. 

 Long. sect, of flower. 



of petals quite distinct to the base, and not adhering to each other 

 at this point. The stamens are free, or the filaments united for a 

 variable distance ; their back is sometimes bare, sometimes appendi- 

 cu late ; and the connective is prolonged above the anthers in a plate 

 of variable form. On each of the three parietal placentas one or 

 several ovules are inserted ; the fruit is a three-valved capsule, with 

 seeds smooth, or furnished with a cottony down. 



In a Binorea of Ceylon, distinguished as a genus under the name 

 of Scyplicllandra, the very small flower has a sort of disk, represented 

 by five scales, each corresponding to the back of an anther. 



1 Tia., lac cit., 370 ; xi. 153.- • Wali\, l{ej)., v. 407; Ann. i. GO; ii. 07. 



