368 NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



entire or lobate. The three lower are usually declinate. The 

 anthers are bilocular, introrse, dehiscent by two longitudinal clefts.^ 

 The gynseceum is composed of a trilocular ovaiy surmounted by a 

 simple style, with undilated stigmatiferous apex. In the internal 

 angle of each cell is a placenta supporting two ovules, horizontal, or 

 more often directed inversely. One of these, attached below, is 



ASsculiis Hippocastanum . 



Fig. 407. SeuJ. 



Fig. 401. Portion of inflorescence. 



Fig. 408. Longitudinal 

 section of seed. 



ascendent with the micropyle inferior and exterior; the other 

 is descendent, with micropyle turned upwards and inwards." The 

 fruit is a thick coriaceous loculicidal capsule, spherical or nearly so, 

 the surface smooth or bristling with points. The cells, one to thi-ee in 

 number, contain one or two seeds whose exalbuminoiis embryo has 

 two large hemispherical fleshy cotyledons, often conferruminate, and 

 an arched conical radicle, involved in a sort of sheath formin<; the 



' In the species observed (H.Mohl, Ann. 

 Se. Nat. sér. 2, iii. 337) : the pollen is " eUip- 

 soide ; trois plis ; dans l'eau, sphère à trois 



bandes avec trois papilles {Aismlns maerostachiia, 

 ^.flttva, AE. Hippocastanum) ." 

 * The ovular coat is double. 



