14 



NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



under the ovary, within a thick glandular disk, very variable in 

 form, with which the receptacle is covered. The anther is bilocular,^ 

 extrorse, often didymous, dehiscing by two longitudinal clefts which 

 often become confluent in their upper part.^ The ovary is more or 



Hippocratea obtusifolta. 



Fig. 22. Flower (|). Fig. 23. Diagram. 



Fig. 24. Long. sect, of flower. 



Sippocratea obtusifolta. 



less deeply buried in the central cavity of the disk, and its three 

 cells, alternate with the stamens, contain in their inner angle a 

 placenta bearing two ascending ovules with micropyle exterior and 

 inferior, or two or three pairs of ovules in two parallel series, 

 ascending or horizontal. The ovary extends upwards in a style, 

 the stigmatiferous summit of which is either not enlarged, or 

 dilated in three lobes. The fruit generally consists of three dry 



carpels, united only near the base, then 

 dilated in their free part to a compressed 

 hollow, elliptic or orbicular, indehiscent or 

 opening in two lateral valves by a double 

 longitudinal cleft, ventral or dorsal. Each 

 encloses one or many ascending seeds, often 

 prolonged to membranous wings, imbricate 

 in their lower part, whose superior tegu- 

 mentary cavity contains a thick and fleshy 

 embryo, with cotyledons often united in a 

 single mass, and short inferior radicle. The 

 Hippocratew consist of small climbing trees 

 from all the tropical regions of both worlds. 

 Fig. 25. Fruit. Their leaves are opposite, articulate, simple, 



accompanied by two small caducous stipules. 



^ Each cell often divides into two cellules for a 

 longer or shorter time distinct. 



* The pollen is similar to that of the Celas- 



tte<B in general.— (H. Mohl, Ann. 8c. Nat. 



ser. 2, ui. 



