110 



XATl'RAL IllSTORY OF PLANTS. 



Tv'. 170. Seed. 



Fig. 171. Long, 

 sect, of seed. 



and monospcrmous. In JolKmncsia, a type also of a section [Johan- 

 nesiea-\ the calyx is formed of a thick sac Avliose gaping opening is 

 edged witli fonr or five very short teeth. The petals are imbricated 

 or contorted, and the rest of the flo-\vor is similar to that of 

 Jatrophri, Sarcodinmm, Gukaria. Only one species is known, a 

 Brazilian tree, -with compound digitate leaves and flowers disposed 



in compound cymes. Jlcuritcs 



Ak,uite.{E'<eoe:.ca,)vcr„icith,n. ^^^.^^ JJailCOuNer), COmpOScd of 



trees from the warm regions of 

 Asia and Oceania, has simple 

 leaves digitinerved at the hasc 

 and more or less cut. The 

 flowers, fruits, and seeds (fig. 

 170, 171) are similar to those of 

 the preceding genera, but the 

 valvatc calyx is irregularly 

 divided into a variable number 

 of straps, and. the stamens, instead of being indefinite in number, 

 are united in large quantities upon a common elongated receptacle. 

 Sr/i/of/n, consisting of trees with simple leaves from Guiana, has also 

 iiuiiu'rt)us stamens at the centre of the male flower. The sepals 

 and petals arc imbricated and the male flowers have five alterni- 

 pc^talous glands which are wanting in the female flowers. Cluvto- 

 carpus, composed of eastern India and tropical America, has also 

 simple leaves. The tetramerous flowers have an imbricated calyx 

 but no corolla, and from eight to sixteen stamens ; they may thus 

 be considered as a i|uarieriiary iloral apetidous' type of Jutrapha or 

 ScKjoihi. 



Ilcvea constitutes a small sub- series in this group. The mona'- 

 cicius flowers arc apetalous, and the gamosepalous calyx has long 

 valvatc or subinduplicatc divisions. The introrse anthers, collected 

 in one or tAVO verticils, are applied vertically to the surface of a 

 central erect cylindrical column, surmounted by a small terminal 

 body. The ovarj' is surmounted by a column-shaped style. It 

 consists of trees with alternate digitate trifolioliate leaves and monoe- 

 cious flowers united, much ramified compound cymes. They arc 

 natives of north-eastern South America. (Guiana, Para.) 



In Trigonostemon., formed of trees and shrubs of tropical Asia, 

 the anthers may be like those of Hccea^ extrorse collected upon a 



