358 



NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



biovulate cells occupies the bottom. Its leaves are alternate and 

 imparipiuuate. The Llagunoas, trees from the Columbian, Peruvian, 

 and Chilian Andes, might be connected with it, because their flowers 

 (fig. 370, 371), regular or slightly irregular, have also a concave 

 receptacle, much widened and lined by a glandular disk. But the 

 sepals are valvate, or hardly imbricate ; the corolla is wanting and the 

 stamens are inserted at the bottom of the receptacle, like the ovary, 

 whose cells are biovulate. The Llagtmoas have alternate leaves, 1-3- 

 f oliolate, axillary flowers solitary or few in number, and a loculicidal 

 capsule, 



Xanthoccras (fig, 372-874) is also, amongst the regular types of 



Xnnthociras sorbifolia. 



Fig. 372. Male flower. 



Fig. 373. Longitudinal section of male flower. 



Xaiithoceras sorbifolia. 



this family, quite exceptional by its multi-ovulate ovary cells. By 



this character, as well as by the large development of its five twisted 



or imbricate petals, destitute of appendages, it 

 brings us back to the StaphijUaccce. Here the 

 disk is represented by five elongated glands in 

 the shape of horns, interposed to the petals, 

 with which they alternate, and exterior to the 

 eight stamens surrounding the ovary. In each of 

 the three cells of the latter, there are generally 

 two vertical series of foiir ovules, very nearly 

 transverse, and facing each other by their 

 raphe. They abort more or less completely in 

 the male flower. The fruit is a loculicidal 

 capsule with oxalbuminous seeds. The only 

 Xanthoccras known is a shrub of northern 



China, with imparipiunate loaves and large polygamous early flowers 



arranged in terminal clusters. 



Fig. 374. Flower with the 

 perianth removed. 



