EVPHORniAOEJE. 



137 



Ihfra <irpi*f/ns. 



valvate or nearly so, with thi'ee erect aud elougated stamens, the 

 base of the fruit being dilated into a triangular mass like that of 

 Stillingia ; MancMneel {Hippomane), a tree of central South America, 

 having the male diandrous ilowers of Exccvcaria, 

 only distinguished by a drupaceous fruit with hard 

 rugose and plvu'ilocular stone ; Cnrumhium, with the 

 habit of Exccecaria., having two large imbricated 

 sepals to the flower, equal or unequal, more or 

 less thickened and glandular below, outside or in- 

 side, one or more circles of stamens, central or 

 nearly so, folded in two halves, applied against 

 each other, and a dry or fleshy fruit ; they belong p;„ 

 to the warm regions of Asia and Oceania. Om- 

 phalea., with the general characters of the preceding genera, has a 

 calyx with four or five divisions, and an androceum whose three or 

 four anthers are inserted on the edge of a dilatation in the form of a 

 disk or mushi-oora surmounting a short central column. Hum (Fr., 

 Sablier) has a cup-shaped calyx and an ancboceum whose central 



Hura erepitans. 



'ig. 215. Androceimi ("-). 



Fig. 21G. Female flower. 



Fig. 218. Fruit (J). 



Fig. 217. Long-, sect, of female 

 flower. 



column supports sessile, extrorse anthers disposed on two or several 

 verticils (fig. 'J15.) The gynajceum is surrounded by a large style, 

 dilating into a head resembling a corolla, fleshy, Avith numerous tliick 

 or reflexcd divisions (fig. 21G, 217). The fruit (fig. 218), i)luri- 

 locular like the ovary, is a depressed cajisule whose shells separate 

 and open elastically with some noise, 



VOL. v. T 



