BUT AGE JE. 



387 



united in bunches at the summit of the stem and branches, 

 are elongated, unifoliolate, and entire. The flowers 1 present fine 

 examples of what is termed localized inflorescence ; they are 

 usually disposed in alternate few-flowered cymes upon separate 

 axes, often elongated, angular, and sometimes bearing leaves, and 

 which after a longer or shorter rest, produce new cymes slightly 

 distant from the preceding ones. These axes are separated 

 from the stalk on a level with a leaf, whose axil they cannot 

 be said to occupy, as they correspond with that of a leaf 

 situated lower down, and from which they have been drawn up the 

 stem to a higher level ; sometimes even, as in E. hypophyllanthus, 

 they have been raised to a certain height along the midrib of an 

 upper leaf, the inferior face of which then bears the floral cymes. 



Beside Erythrochiton are placed several very analogous genera, some 

 having regular, and others irregular flowers. The former are : 



Spiranthera odoratissima. 



Fig. 402. 

 Flower. 



Fig. 404. 

 Gynseceum. 



Fig. 403. 

 Lonnf. sect, of flower. 



Almeidea, having five imbricated petals, the same number of fertile 

 stamens with free filaments barbate within, the sessile gynseceum of 

 Erythrochiton, and unifoliolate leaves ; Spiranthera (figs. 402-404), 



1 With white or pink corolla ; calyx generally red or greenish round the fruit. 



c c 2 



