68 



NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



Platytheca verticillata. 



All are formed of a filament and a continuous antlier, deliisciug by 

 an apical pore situated quite at the top of the apex elongated iuto a 

 rostrum. There are four cellules to the anther all 

 situated in the same vertical plane.' The gyneeceum 

 is free, formed of an ovary with two cells, one 

 anterior the other posterior, surmounted by a 

 slender style with truncate stigmatifcrous apex. 

 In the inner angle of each cell is a placenta sup- 

 porting a descendent anatropous ovule with 

 exterior and superior micropyle.^ The fruit is a 

 Fig.io3.GyniBceiiin(f).bi-locular capsulo, compressed, loculicidal, then 

 septicidal. The seeds contain under their coats a 

 fleshy albumen surroimding a small axile embryo with suj)erior 

 radicle. The only Platytheca known is a delicate shrub, a native 

 of Australia, as are all the species of this family. Its leaves are 

 verticillate ^ and linear ; the flowers * are axillary solitary and 

 pedunculate. 



The true Tremandras^ of which two species ^ are known, are but 

 slightly distinct from Flatijtheca ; their stamens, the anthers of 

 which are said to be articulate at the summit of a tenuous filament, 

 with only two cells, are separated from each other by five 

 oppositipetalous glands of a disk within which are inserted the 

 stamens alternate to the sepals. The seed is provided on a level 

 with the chalaza Avith a fleshy appendage in the shape of a curved 

 horn spirally rolled,'^ and the ovary cells are generally biovulate. 

 — They are shrubs covered with stellate hairs, with opposite dentate 

 membranous leaves. 



The Tetrathecas ^ have tetramerous or pentamerous rarely tri- 

 merous flowers.'' The androceumis diplostemonous ; but the stamens. 



' They open above to a narrow channel 

 situated in the direction of the apical rostrum. 



- AVith double coat. 



' Generally eight in number. Below, the 

 axis which supports them presents a circular 

 crenulate ring. 



•• Violet pretty large. 



5 li. Bii. in Fliiul. Vol/. Jjip. ii. 544.— DC. 

 Frodr. i. 344.— Enkl. Orii. n. 5645.— B. H. 

 &en. 134, n. 3.— H. Bn. in Fai/er Fkih. Nat. 308. 



^ Benth. Fl. Austral, i. 136. — Wali'. Ann. 

 vii. 242. 



? It is an ai'illatB production of the same 



natui-e as those naujed stropliiolos, and is due to 

 the hypertrophia of the outer coat here taking 

 the same form as in some Oclmucecc and the 

 New Caledonian TiUaceie of the genus Tn'sms- 

 pidaria, 



^ Sm. Nov.-Hull. i. t. 2 ; Krot. Jlot. i. 37, t. 

 20-22.— J. MCm. Mus. i. 387.— TuKP. in DicL 

 Sc. Nat. Atl. t. no.— DC. Ti-odi: i. 343.— Endl. 

 Gen. n. 5044. — Lindl. Veg.K'wr/d.S'li, fig. 200. 

 — Pateii, Oigamg. 137, t. 30.— B. H. Gen. 

 134, n. 1.— H. Bn. in Pai/ei- Fam. Nat. 308. 



' Rose coloured or purple. 



