NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



plctely or nearly so at the adult age, aud the two lateral are iisually 

 only represented by t^yo staminodes, very short in compaiison with 

 the fertile stamens. All are inserted slightly perigynously upon the 

 edge of the receptacle, and the fertile stamen is formed of a free 



Vochi/sitt guianensh 



Fig. 128, 129. Entire 

 stamen. Transverse .sect. 



Fig. 127. Portion of 

 the inflorescence (■). 



Open 



filameut and a bilocxilar iutrorsc anther with two distinct cells 

 corresponding to the edges of the connective, and each dehiscing by 

 a longitudinal cleft. ^ The gynseceum occupies the centre of the 

 receptacle ; it is formed of a three-celled ovary, surmounted by a 

 style swollen into a club and presenting towards the obtuse summit 

 an oblique stigmatiferous surface. In the inner angle of each cell, 

 two of them being posterior and one anterior, are two collateral, 

 descendent, incompletely auatropous ovules with linear hilum and 

 superior exterior micropyle. The Iruit is a triquetrous loculicidal 

 capsule, the valves bearing upon the middle of their interior face a 

 partition, on each side of which is a descendent seed. This is 



' The pollen of several Voc/ii/siacerc of the 

 series Salvaterticeœ has hcen examined by H. 

 MoHL. (in Aim. Sc. Nat. ser. 2, iii. 332), and 

 descrihed in different categories, "a flattened 

 sphere with three angles, small p.apille;c on the 

 angles ( Vochysia fcmiijima). — b. Spherical, tri- 



angular at the equator, on the angles very short 

 folds, on these the papillie (Q»«/cBC(;«/cff»'fi<ff). — 

 <•■ Ovoid ; three folds ; in water a sphere with the 

 hands hearing papilise ( Vocliysia pi/ramMalis, 

 Amphikchia rjimhoidts, CuUisthetie minor)." 



