50 



NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



alternate and five superposed, all united among themselves below in 

 a tube from wliich they separate,' each supporting a bilocular introrse 

 versatile author dehiscing by two longitudinal clefts." The gynteceum 

 is free, formed of an ovary generally three celled, the two posterior 

 cells being surmounted by a style divided more or less high, but 



^ Mri/thrP3\ylon Cnca. 



Fig. 82. Flowers (a). 



Fig. 80. Floriforous liranch (-*). 



Fig. 83. Long. sect, of 

 flower. 



generally near the base,'^ into three branches whose stigmatif6rous 

 summit is swollen into a head or club. There is generally but one 

 fertile cell, while the others are empty and often very little developed ; 

 the anterior one is fertile presenting in its internal angle one, or more 

 rarely two descendent ovules, with micropyle looking outwards and up- 

 wards.'' The fruit is a di'upe accompanied at the base by the re- 

 mains of the calyx and androceum, and with a stone, often thin, 

 containing a seed whose coats cover an albumen '^ of variable thickness, 



1 Tlio bnso of their free part is often cucircled 

 l)y an exterior ring or colliirette, entire or crenate, 

 formed Ijy tlie siiiierior edge of the tube. 



'^ Consequently often extror.se in the expanded 

 flower ; tlie position whieh it occupies at first in 

 certain living species such as E. Vnca, 



^ It is in the Indian Sct/iiar, (of which it is pro- 



posed to make a completely distinct genus) and 

 in some Brazilian species that the union of the 

 styles extend highest. 



■* It has two coats. 



' It is sometimes reduced to a mcmhrane, 

 oftcner it is fleshy, thick round the radicle, and 

 towards the hack of the cotyledons. 



