360 



NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



flowers. The gyneeceiim is composed of an ovary with three lobes 

 and three cells, each containing an ascendent ovule, with inferior 

 and exterior micropyle, resembling, in a word, that of Sapindus. The 

 style, disengaging itself fi'om the middle of the lobes of the ovary, 

 is simple, having the stigmatiferous extremity entire or slightly 

 trilobate. The fruit is also analogous to that of Sapindm, formed 

 of from one to three spherical or elongated drupes, with slight inde^ 

 hiscent endocarp. Each of them contains an exarillate seed 

 whose fleshy embryo has a short inferior radicle and thick cotyledons 

 straight or arched. The Pancovias are trees from tropical Asia 

 Oceania, and Africa, with alternate leaves, pari- or impari-pinnate 

 and having the inflorescence of Sapindus^ terminal or sometimes borne 

 on the wood of the stem. Three or foui- species ^ are distinguished. 

 Chijtnmthus^ consisting of slu'ubs from tropical western Africa, with 

 inflorescence borne on the wood of the branches, is hardly distinct 

 from Pancovia. It is only separated by the gamosepalous calyx with 



Diploghttis CuuHinghaml. 



378. Flower {f). Fig. 379. Longitudinal section of flower. 



five divisions nearly valvate or slightly imbricate, and by the shape 

 of the petals, whose claw is hollow in the form of a small flattened 

 horn, from the interior of which issues a subulate tongue. The 

 Schmidelia., shrubs from all the tropical regions of the globe, have, 

 with the lobate and indéhiscent fruit of the preceding genera, tetra- 

 merous flowers and leaves usually uni- or tri-foliate, rarely having 

 fouj or five folioles. The Hemigyrosa, trees from tropical Asia, have 



' DC. Prodr. ii. 507, n. 2 {Afzelia) ; Syst. i. 

 608; Prorf)-. i. 608, n. 19 {Sapindus) . — Bl. Bijdr. 

 229 {Eringlossim) ; Cat. Surt.JluUoiz. 62 {Sapin- 

 dus) ; Simphia, iii. 93, t. 167 (Sapindus); 118, t. 

 166 (Erioglomtm).—B.o-!i.Ti\. PI. Coromaiid. t. 62 

 (Sapindus.)— B.\va. Guillem. et Pehk. Fl. Seneg. 



Tent. i. 118, t. 28.— Span, in Linniea, xv. 181 

 {Eringlossum). — Benth. Fl. Austral, i. 454 

 {FriM/lossum). — Bakek, in Uliv. Fl. trop. Afr. 

 i. 420 {Erioglossum). — Walp Sep. i. 407 [Erio- 

 glossnm). 



