264 NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



abruptly dilated to a kind of hemispherical cup, lined to a variable 

 extent by a glandular bed or numerous hairs, the margin of which 

 bears the sepals, valvate at adult age.^ In the intervals are inserted 

 an equal number of petals very variable in size, sometimes large 

 and contorted or more rarely imbricate, in other cases very narrow ; 

 sometimes they are entirely wanting.^ The stamens are in number 

 double that of the petals and are arranged in two verticils. Five 

 are superposed to the petals and inserted on the internal surface of 

 the receptacle higher than the alternate ones. All have a free 

 subulate elongate exserted filament, at first folded back upon itself 

 so that its summit is directed downwards to attach itself to the back 

 of the anther which is introrse, bilocular, dehiscing by two longitu- 

 dinal clefts. It becomes erect at the time of anthesis.^ In the 

 female or hermaphrodite flowers, the receptacular cavity, below the 

 point where it is dilated to a cup, is entirely filled by the adnate 

 ovary which is surmounted by a subulate style, at summit stigma- 

 tiferous, not swollen, undivided. In the single cavity of the ovary 

 are found two or three parietal placentse, often but slightly distinct 

 at adult age, from the upper of each of which depend one or two 

 ovules, at first lateral,^ attached by a funicle more or less long and 

 slender, anatropous and with micropyle directed upwards and out- 

 wards.^ The fruit, surmounted by a scar produced by the early 

 separation of the dilated portion of the receptacle, is elongate, 

 coriaceous, membranous- or almost spongy, generally indehiscent,^ 

 with four to six vertical prominences in form of dihedral angles, 

 soft or pointed, sometimes dilated to vertical wings, coriaceous or 

 membranous. The narrow central cavity of the pericarp contains a 

 *ingle descending seed, narrow and elongate, often traversed by 

 longitudinal furrows, enclosing under its coats a fleshy embryo, 

 destitute of albumen, with superior radicle, and cotyledons plano- 

 convex, angular or plicate, contortuplicate, more rarely convolute. 

 In Gacoucia,'^ the receptacular tube is often a little curved or gibbous 



1 Often at first slightly imbricate. appears, in adult age, to be quite apicular, but 



2 Especially in Calopijxis and Thiloa. this is only an illusion. 



3 In the Combretece the pollen is generally ^ Their coat is double. 



ovoid with three or six folds, and in water ^ It opens tardily in four pannels in Sheadcn- 



spherical with three or six bands, each bearing dron Bektol., in five in some other African 



one or several papillas (H. 'Moni^.Ann. Sc. Nat. species. 



eer. 2, iii. 332). ^ They have been distinguished as a genus 



■* Their point of attachment to the partition chiefly on account of their fruit, which is 



