76 



NATURAL BI.^TOHr OF PLANTS. 



II. XANTHOPHYLLUM SEEIES. 



The flowers of Xanfhophjllum'^ (fig. 110-112) are outwardly 

 analogous to those of the Folygalcce, although their five sepals aucl 

 imbricated petals are generally less unequal. The cymbiform keel 

 is entire. The stamens are eight in number ; they arc composed of 



XaiithojyhijUiim JJnvc.'CCiis. 



111. Fruit. 



Fig. 110. Long. sect, of flower (9. Fig. 112. Embryo (f) 



filaments free, or united for a variable distance among themselves or 

 with the petals, and of bilocular, iutrorse anthers, dehiscing by 

 short clefts. The stamens are placed as in the Milkworts. The 

 gynfeceum, surrounded by a more or less thick circular disk, is 

 formed of a superior unilocular ovary, tapering above into an arched 

 style whose swollen summit is covered with stigmatic papilla}. In 

 the ovary are two more or less prominent parietal placentas, each 

 bearing from two to six ovules, at fu'st descendent, then more or 

 less oblique in all ways, anatropous, with micropyle constantly 

 dii'ected towards the placenta. The fruit is a coriaceous berry, con- 

 taining one or a small number of seeds whose coats cover a tliick 

 albuminous or exalbuminous embryo, fleshy cotyledons and a short 

 non-prominent radicle. Xunthoplujllum ^ which may be defined as Polij- 

 galaccoi with plmiovulate parietal placentas and fleshy fruit,- consists 

 of trees and shrubs fi-om tropical Asia and Australia, The 



' EoxB. PI. Cuivmaiicl. iii. 82, t. 24 ; Fl. liid. 

 ii. 221.— Endl. Oen. n. 6667. — Payee Fam. 

 Nat. 109.— B. H. G™. 131), 974, n. IZ.—Juckia 

 1!l. Bijdr. 60 (ncc Wall.). — Macintyria F. 

 MuELL. Frac/m. Pliyl. Aiisti-al. v. 8, 57. 



^ We blioulj pcrh.Tjis comprise in this series, 



whoso characters would in this case be modi- 

 fied, MoHtnha (AUBL. Guian. 679, t. 274 ; — J. 

 Oeii. 420 ;— Endl. Oen. n. 4265 ; Makt. Fl. 

 Bias. Ebeiiac. 13, t. 5, 6;— B. H. Gen. 140, n. 

 14; Ci-j/ptostamiim ScHREi;. Gen. n. 344; — 

 Jc».st.i li. ot Tav. Ffodi: i. t. 1 ; Fl. Per. i. 5, t. 



