326 NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



summit into long acuminate points ; it is, consequently, to Lhotzhya 

 (from which it can be separated only very artificially) what Homo- 

 ranihus is to Darivinia, Thryjptomene has flowers and organs of vege- 

 tation strongly recalling certain species of Bceckea and Leptospermum^ 

 and thereby approach genera of the preceding series. The sepals, five 

 in number, are persistent, as likewise are the five alternate petals, 

 most frequently connivent. It has five alternipetalous stamens, or 

 ten stamens disposed in two verticils, without sterile tongues inter- 

 posed. The unilocular ovary contains a placenta nearly basilar, but 

 eccentric, or rising more or less on the partition and supporting from 

 two to ten ascending ovules. The leaves are opposite, like those of 

 Bceckea. From it have been distinguished HomalocalyXj having a 

 caducous perianth, stamens indefinite in number, and alternate leaves, 

 like those of Leptosjpermum, and Microwyrtus, having persistent 

 sepals, open petals, ten stamens, or only ^ye facing petals, with an 

 ovary the single cell of which is traversed from the base to the 

 summit by a filiform and pauciovulate placenta. 



lY. BARRINGTONIA SERIES. 



Barringtonia ^ has regular flowers rarely pentamerous, nearly 

 always tetramerous (fig. 315, 316). In the latter case, the concave 

 receptacle, in the form of an obconical horn, rarely urceolate, is nearly 

 filled by the imbedded ovary and bears on its margin a valvate or 

 imbricate-decussate calyx and four petals, imbricate in the bud. The 

 stamens are indefinite in number, inserted perigynously like the 

 perianth. The filaments are united below in a short ring which may 

 also adhere with the base of the petals, free throughout their re- 

 maining extent, twisted or corrugate in the bud, straightened and 

 exserted at the time of anthesis, and surmounted ^ by a small bilo- 

 cular introrse anther, dehiscing by two longitudinal and often 

 versatile clefts. The inferior ovary has two or four cells superposed 



1 FoRST. Char. Gen. 75, t. 28, — GjEB.m.Frucf. Euttam Adans. Fam. des PI. ii. 88. — Stravadium 



ii. 96, 1. 101.— DC.Proc?;-.iii. 288.— SPACH,-Se«if. J. Gen. 326.— DC. Prodr. iii. 289.— Bl. V. 



a -Bw/o»,iv. 185.— Endl. 6^^.11.6325.— H.Bn. Houtte Fl. Serr.vii. 24. — Meteorus LouR.i?/. 



Pmjer Fam. Nat. 368.— B. H. Gen. 720, 1006, n. Cockinch. (ed. 1790) 410. — Stravadia Pers. 



61. — Baker, Fl. Maurit. 119. — Hook. Fl. Ind. Synops. ii. ZQ.— Menichea Sonner. Voy. 138, t. 



ii. 506. — Butonica J. Gen. 326. — Lamk. Bict. i. 92, 93 (ex Exdl.). — Botryoropis Frissl, Fphnel. 



521 ; III. t. 590. — Commer&ona Sonner. Voy. t. 220. 



8. 9. — Mitraria Gmel. Syst. 799 (ex Endl.). — 2 Sometimes, however, they are sterile. 



