LINAGE.^. 47 



whicli five shorter are superposed to the petals. Theii- filaments 

 are united below into a short tube, with five alteruipetalous angles 

 sometimes thickened, as in the Flaxes, into elongate glands ; after- 

 wards they separate, and each bears above, a bilocular, introrse anther, 

 dehiscing by two longitudinal clefts. The ovary is formed of five 

 alternipetaloiis cells, more rarely of four or three, sm-mounted by a 

 like number of style branches, capitate stigmatiferous at the apex. 

 In the internal angle of each cell are seen two descendent ovules, 

 generally collateral with exterior micropyle surmounted usually by 

 a thick obturator. The fruit is a drupe enclosing from three to five 

 mono- or dispcrmous stones. The seeds are generally compressed, 

 and contain under their coats a fleshy albumen, surrounding a 

 straight or arched embryo, with short superior radicle. Hiujonia 

 consists of shrubs, often climbing, Irom all tropical regions, with 

 alternate simiile penniuerved leaves accompanied by entire or slashed 

 stipules. The floAvers are generally in terminal ramified racemes com- 

 posed of ebracteate cymes. As a rule also the lower divisions of the 

 inflorescence, one or two in number, are transformed into a thick hook 

 recurved belowand rolled spirally. In certain species of Htigonia^ prin- 

 cipally natives of tropical Aiiica, the flowers are united in the axils 

 of the leaves into very short racemes or spikes, simple or ramified. 

 It is so in Roucheria^ recently ascribed ^ to the genus ITugonia^ and 

 of which three species are known, two from tropical America, the 

 other from tropical Asia. The flowers are accompanied by unequal 

 bracts of variable number, analogous to the sepals but smaller. 



lu some IIiujoniciH from ISTew Caledonia, recently described under 

 the name of Penicillanthemiim,^ the stems are generally not climbing 

 as in Roucheria^ the sepals are obtuse and the inflorescence destitute 

 of hooks at the base. The same characters are found in Surcotheca 

 mucrophijlla^'" a slu'ub from the Indian Ai'chipelago wliicli ought, it 



Loud. Journ. V\\. 52-1. — B. 11. Giii. 243, 987, n. 24;3, n. 10 ; — AVai.p. Ann. ii. i;!7), towliich uni- 



5.' — H. Bn. in Payer Fain. Nut. 39C ; in Adun- ovulate culls may erroneously have been attri- 



soiiia, X. 364. — JEgnluccrun Kay (i'x Adaxs.). Initcd, the two collateral ovules being very near 



' Pl. in //oo/l-. Xmrf. /oMCH. \-i. 141, t. 2. — B. each other and united above by a common 



II. Gen. 243, 987, n. G. obturator. 



= F. MiELL. /'(Yjym. V. 7. ■• Bl. iV««. Ludg.-Hat. \. 241.— B. H. Gen. 



' ViEiLL. in lUiU. Hue. Linn. Kormand. x. 94. 245, n. 11. — H. Bn. in Adansoiiia, x. 364. 



— B. II. Ct'«. 987. — II. Bn. injlrfa«so«w, X. 3G1. Wah'. Ann. ii. 137. — Rouclieria macroplujlla 



We believe that one of these PftiiciZ/aHMem!"* is yiui. Fl. Tnd.-Bat.i. p. ii. 136. Walp. Ann. 



Duratidca (Pl. loc. cit. vii. 627 ;— B. H. Gen. vii. 462. 



