38 NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



IV, BALBISIE^. 



8. Balbisia Cav.- — Flowers regular liermaplu-oclito ; receptacle 

 convex. Sepals 5, imbricate, persistent. Petals same in number, 

 alternate, contorted. Glands 0. Stamens 10, hypogynous, 2- 

 seriate free ; anthers at margin or subextrorsely rimose. Germen 

 superior ; cells 5, alternipetalous ; styles divided later into five 

 lobes, liugulate, stigmatiferous inwardly and at margin ; ovules 

 inserted at internal angle of cells œ, anatropoiis. Capsule septicidal 

 and at apex loculicidal ; valves 5, persistent at middle of septa and 

 below axis ; seeds oo , angular ; albumen thin fleshy ; embryo folded ; 

 radicle incumbent or enclosed between corrugate cotyledons. — TJn- 

 dershrubs more or less canescent ; leaves alternate and opposite 

 exstipulate, generally 3-partite ; flowers terminal solitary peduncu- 

 late ; bracts co , linear inserted forming epicalyx below calyx. {Peru 

 and Chili suhlitt.) Seep. 11. 



9. Wendtia Meyen. — Flowers (nearly of Balbisia) 10-androus; 

 germen 3-locvdar (or more rarely 4-locular ;) style branches same in 

 number, lingulate. Ovules in cells 2, collaterally descendent ; 

 micropyle extrorsely superior. Capsules loculicidal 3-valved at 

 apex. — Small ramified shi'ubs ; leaves opposite small 3-ô-lobed or 

 dissected ; flowers terminal pedunculate solitary or scantily cymose J 

 bracts linear forming epicalyx inserted below calyx. (&'outh Peru, 

 Chili.) See p. 12. 



10. Rhynchotheca E. et Pav. — Flowers (nearly of Wendtia) 

 apetalous ; germen cells 5, oppositisepaloiis ; style shortly 5-lobed ; 

 lobes stigmatiferous, thickly lingulate ; ovules in cells 2, descendent ; 

 micropyle extrorse superior. Fruit capsular ; lobes from columella 

 septifragally solute, not revolute. Seeds in cells usually solitary, 

 scantily albviminous ; embryo of flat cotyledon straight. — Much 

 ramified small shrubs sometimes spiuescent ; leaves opposite small, 

 entire or 5-lobed; flowers terminal pedicellate subumbellate, 

 ecalyculate. [South America Andes.) See p. 13. 



11. Viviania Cav. — Flowers (nearly of Wendtia or Balbisia) 

 4, 5-merous ; sepals free or connate at base, valvate. Petals con- 

 torted. Glands 4, 5, alternipetalous, entire or 2-fid. Stamens 

 8-10, 2-seriate, all fertile. Germen 2, 3-locular ; ovules in cells 2, 



