280 NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



GENERA. 



I. COMBEETE^. 



1. Combretum L. — Flowers hermaphrodite or poly gamo-dioecious; 

 receptacle tubular-lageniform, constricted to apex, then dilated 

 cnpuliform ; sepals 4, 5, valvate, glabrous or pilose within, some- 

 times glandularly incrassate at base, deciduous. Petals 4, 5, some- 

 times small (or very rarely 0). Stamens 8-10, 2 -seriate; the 

 oppositipetalous inserted higher; filaments elongate free, incurved 

 above; anthers small introrse, 2-dymous, 2-rimose. Germenadnate 

 within to concavity of receptacle, 1-locular ; style subulate, at apex 

 simple or slightly incrassate stigmatose. Ovules 2-6, suspended from 

 apex of cell by a rather long funicle, anatropous ; micropyle extrorsely 

 superior. Fruit coriaceous or sub- spongy, sometimes sub-fleshy, 4-6- 

 gonal or 4-6-pterous ; wings short thick or often membranous ; pericarp 

 indehiscent or finally 4-6 -partible. Seed 1, descending, elongate, sul- 

 cate or angular; coat membranous or coriaceous; cotyledons of exal- 

 buminous embryo fleshy, oftener narrow, plicate contortuplicate or 

 deeply sulcate, sometimes very rarely convolute. — Shrubs or more 

 rarely trees, often climbing, sometimes spinous ; leaves opposite or 

 more rarely verticillate, very rarely alternate, petiolate, oftener mem- 

 branous entire exstipulate ; flowers in spikes or racemes, sometimes 

 ramose, rarely secund ; bracts small or rather large. (Trop. Asia, 

 Africa, America.) See p. 263. 



2. Quisqualis L.^ — Flowers nearly of Combretum ; tube of re- 



1 L. Gen. n. 539.— J. Gen. 78.— Lamk. III. t. 105 ; Fam. Nat. 96.— B. H. Gen. 689, n. 12.— 



357.— Pom. Diet. vi. 43; Suppl. iv. 640.— DC. Hook. Fl. Ind. ii. 459. — Sphalanthus Jack, 



Prodr. iii. 22. — Spach, Suit, a Buffon, iv. 316, — Mai. Misc. ex Hook. Comp. to Bat. Mag. i. 155. 

 Endl. Gen. n. 6089.— Payer. Organog. 447, t. 



