182 NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



either quite free {Aphora),^ or variously connate with petals and 

 androceu.m, or closely clasping the aucfroceum column at base (Croso- 

 phora). Stamens 10, 2-verticillate, or more rarely 3-5, oppositi- 

 petalous, sometimes 11-15, 3-verticillate, all inserted on central 

 column in verticils higher than perianth ; filaments beyond free ; 

 anthers erect iutrorse or cxtrorse {Crosophoro'), 2-rimose. Germen rudi- 

 mentary placed between filaments at the summit of the column, some- 

 times more evolute {^Capcronia'^)^ entii-e or 3-5-partite oftener minute 

 or 0. Female calyx 4-5-merous imbricated or valvate, sometimes 

 small or subsimilar to sepals {CrozopJwrd), sometimes 0. Glands hypo- 

 gynous, alterni-petalous free or coalescing, sometimes connate in 

 urceolate disk {Speranskia) more rarely minute or 0. Germen 3-locular, 

 sometimes suiTounded by minute staminodes ^ ( Crozopliora) \ ovule soli- 

 tary in cell ; micropyle cxtorse superior,^ capped by thin obturator ; 

 style branches 3, more or less, sometimes high, and once or several 

 times 2- oo-fid or lacinate, stigmatiferous at apex. Cajjsule 3-coccous, 

 seed subglobose exarillate ; external coat soft, sometimes relaxed ; 

 testa outwardly smooth or tuberculate. — Annual or perennial herbs, 

 undershi'ubs or shrubs ; juice often purple. ( Crozopliora^ Argythamnia., 

 CUrointaluni) ; fragrance sometimes of Mclilotus (Pliibjra) ; parts 

 glabrous or pilose \ hairs simple, ramified, stellate or lepidote ; stem 

 and branches unarmed or variously aculeate ( Caperonia)^ sometimes 

 spinescent ; leaves alternate, petiolate or subsessile, penninerved 

 sub-3-plinerved at base, entire, dentate, sinuate, or lobate, base 

 below 2-glandular, and at margin sometimes paiiciglandular; stipules 

 small, herbaceous or glanduliform, sometimes {Philijra) changed 

 into spines. Flowers^ 9 in axillary and terminal racemes, 1- or 2- 

 sexual, solitary in the axil of each bract of the raceme or few cymose ; 

 female inferior ; . others rather more numerous male. {Mediterranean 

 regions^ West India, North China, warm Eastern and Western Africa, 

 tropical and subtropical America, North and South.) 



1 NuTT. in Traits. Am, Phil. Soc. n. ser. v. of subporigynous natui-e. 



X'H.—Serophyton Benth. SulpA. 52. — Endl. ■* Nucleus at apex much dilated complanate. 



Gen. Suppl. v. 90. — Stcnonia Didr. Fl. Nauii. ^ Small, often imbued with a hlackish colour. 



Univ. Hafn. (1857), 24 (nee H. B.\.). ^ Spec. about52. H. B. K. Nov. Gen. et Spec. 



^ A.i^.B.. PL Hem. JSiés.2U;iaMém. Mils. vii. 169, t. C39 (/>t(a.r(s). — Kar. et Kir. 



xii. 343.— Endl. Oen. n. 5831.— H. Bn. in Bull. ISoo. Imp. Nat. Mosc. (1842), 446 



Euphorb. 299.— M. Akg. Pndr. 751. — Schinza {Crozophora). — Kl. in Sook. Journ. ii. 50 



Dennst. Svri. Mttlab. 7 (ex Endi..). — Cavanilla [Capertnia). — Presl, Epimel. 213 [Capei-oiiia). — 



Vellos. Ft. Flum. v. t. 102.— Zepidoci-otm Gken. et Godh. Fl. fk Fr. ui. 100 {Cmzopliora). 



FiŒai., Fpimel. 213. — LepidococcaTvii.cï.mIStdl. — ScuwErar. Fl. Nil. 9 {Crozophoro). — H. Bn. 



Soe. Mosc. (1848), 588. — Androphoraiithus in Adansoina, i. 67, 245 {Crozophora) ; iv. 269 



Kakst. Fl. Columl). ii. 15, t. 101. {Bitaxia), 288 {Argythamnia, Chiropetalum) . 



^ Sometimes subinferior at base on account 



