64 NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



sometimes shortly 4-6-lobed. Ovules in cells oo , generally ascending, 

 small, anatropous, inserted on thick placentae affixed to internal angle. 

 Fruit fleshy or coriaceous, sometimes spongy, depressed or concave at 

 apex, indehiscent (?). Seeds oo , ovoid or pyramidal; raphe rather 

 broad; cotyledons of exalbuminous embryo fleshy. — Erect or climbing 

 shrubs, glabrous or variously clothed; leaves opposite, sometimes 

 unequal, entire, 8-7-nerved, crowded transverse veins, internodes 

 sometimes dilated ; flowers axillary or solitary or cymose on lateral 

 twig ; bracts 4, decussate, involucrate under each flower. {Both trop, 

 Americas.) — See p. 24. 



51. Bellucia Neck. — Flowers nearly of Blakea, 5-8-merous ; 

 calyx shortly dentate or 5-S-lobed, opening unequally or sometimes 

 circumcissus. Petals 5-8, contorted. Stamens 10-16 (of Blakea) ; 

 connective at base not or scarcely produced. Germen inferior, 8-16- 

 celled ; ovules oo , style, fruit, seeds, &c., of Blakea, — Trees or shrubs, 

 glabrous or tomentose ; leaves petiolate entire, often coriaceous, 

 3-5-plinerved or 5-nerved, sometimes penninerved (Heteroneuron) , 

 sometimes becoming black when dry {Loreya, Heteroneuron) ; flowers 

 large or more rarely {Heteroneuron, Loreya) moderate or small, in 

 lateral or axillary, sometimes intra-axillary, rarely few- or 1 -flowered 

 cymes. {Both trop, Americas.) — See p. 26. 



52. Mouriri Aubl. — Flowers nearly of BlaJcea (smaller), 4- or 

 oftener 5-merous ; receptacle turbinate or subcampanulate. Calyx 

 cupular, entire or lobed. Petals 4, 5, obovate or acute, contorted. 

 Stamens 8-10, inserted with perianth ; filaments slender, finally erect 

 exserted ; anthers subreniform or dolabrate obtuse ; cells linear in- 

 trorse, poricidal or shortly rimose ; connective compressed, concave 

 at back and there furnished with a cupular glandule, and externally 

 at base with a thick and short spur. Germen adnate to bottom of 

 receptacle, concave at apex, glandular-sulcate, 2-5-celled; style thin 

 exserted, at apex stigmatose not dilated. Ovules in cells 2-oo , oftener 

 inserted collaterally on a short placenta a little above the base of the 

 internal angle, ascending ; micropyle extrorsely superior ; or from 

 disappearance of septa inserted on a short free central placenta and 

 verticillately ascending. Berry often crowned with calyx ; seeds oo , 

 sometimes few ascending ; cotyledons of exalbuminous embryo thick 

 plano-convex ; radicle short inferior. — Glabrous shrubs or small trees ; 

 branches terete or sub-4-gonal ; leaves opposite or rarely verticillate. 



