to 



NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



IL XANTHOPHYLLUM SEEIES. 



The flowers of Xanthop/iz/Uum ^ (fig. 110-112) are outwardly- 

 analogous to those of the Poli/galcce, although their five sepals and 

 imbricated petals are generally less unequal. The cymbiform keel 

 is entire. The stamens are eight in number ; they arc composed of 



XanihophyllumJIavosctns. 



Fig. 111. Fruit. Fig. 110. Long. sect, of flower (i). Fig. 112. Embryo (*). 



filaments free, or united for a variable distance among themselves or 

 with the petals, and of bUocular, introrse anthers, dehiscing by 

 short clefts. The stamens are placed as in the Milkworts. The 

 gynseceum, sivrrounded by a more or less thick circular disk, is 

 formed of a superior unilocular ovary, tapering above into an arched 

 style whose swollen summit is covered with stigmatic papillas. In 

 the ovary are two more or less prominent parietal placentas, each 

 bearing from two to six ovules, at first descendent, then more or 

 less oblique in all ways, anatropoiis, with micropyle constantly 

 directed towards the placenta. The fruit is a coriaceous berry, con- 

 taining one or a small number of seeds whose coats cover a thick 

 albuminous or exalbumiuous embryo, fleshy cotyledons and a short 

 non-prominent radicle. Xanthophyllum, which may be defined as Pohj- 

 galacccv with pku'iovulate parietal placentas and fleshy fruit," consists 

 of trees and shi'ubs from tropical Asia and Australia. The 



' RoxB. PI. Coromaiid. iii. 82, t. 24 ; Fl. liul. 

 ii. 221.— Endl. Oen. n. 6657. — Payeb Fam. 

 Nat. 109.— B. H. 6en. 139, 974, u. \Z.—Jackia 

 Bl. Bijdr. 60 (nee WALh.).—Maciiiti/ria F. 

 MuELL. Fragm. Phyt. Austral, v. 8, 57. 



* We should perhnps comprise in this aeries, 



whose characters would in this case he modi- 

 fied, Moutabea (Aubl. Guian. 679, t. 274 ; — J. 

 Qen. 420 ;— Endi,. Oen. n. 4265 ; Mabt. Fl. 

 Bras. Meiiac. 13, t. 5, 6;— B. H. Gen. 140, n. 

 14; Cr;/ptosto»mm Schueii. Gen. n. 344; — 

 Acost.i li. et Pav. Frodr. i. t. 1 ; Fl. Per. i. 6, t. 



