EUPHORBIACR.l^.. 



145 



The petals disappear in Oaletia (fig. 236-239), the type of a parti- 

 cular sub-series of which the genera, all Australian, have the ericoid 

 foliage and narrow cotyledons oiPoranthera^ but the petaloid calyx is 

 constructed on the repeated ternary type, the same as the androceum 



Caletia mtcrautheoiths. 



Fig. 236. Floriferous branch. 



Fig. 239. Female flower, 

 longitudinal section. 



whose divisions are superposed to the sepals. 3Iicranthemn, closely 

 allied, has, with the same aspect, but thi-ec stamens superposed to the 

 exterior sepals ; and the lobes of the rudimentary gyntieceura arc 

 superposed to the interior sepals, instead of alternating with them, 

 as in Caletia} Pseudanthus (fig. 240-241 j differs from the preceding 

 genera in having the stamens, instead of encircling a central rudiment 

 of a pistil, inserted on an axUe column from which are detached the 

 'filaments surmounted by the two separated cells of the anthers ; 

 these are definite or indefinite in number. The latter is always the 



' Not-withstanding the difference of aspect 

 and foliage (and the fact seems to show the 

 slight value of these characters), I must place 

 here the Choriceran, Australian shi-ubs, which 

 have quite the male flower of Caletia, with two 

 verticils of dissimilar sepals, and stamens 6-7 



VOL, V. 



in numlicr, iiLsci-ti d beneath a central rudiment 

 of the gyn;L'0(Mim, but the opposite leaves, how- 

 ever, are flattened and not ericoid, and the 

 carpels, each tapering in a distinct style, are 

 independent in the fruit for nearly half of 

 their height. 



U 



