RHAMNACEJE. 91 



III. COLLETIEZ. 



33. Colletia Commers. — Flowers hermaphrodite or polygamous ; 

 calyx membranous (coloured) cylindrical or urceolate-tubular, en- 

 larged at base and there circumscissus ; lnciniœ of limb 4, 5, valvatc, 

 finally reflexed. Petals 5 (or 0), small cucullate. Stamens same in 

 number opposite petals and with them inserted in the hollows, sub- 

 equal in length; filaments free; anthers short, 2-locular ; clefts 2, 

 often tinally confluent above into one of horseshoe shape. Disk 

 glandular lining cupule at bottom of flower, sometimes thin or 

 invisible, oftener thick and involute at free margin. Germen for 

 most part free, adnate to base of cupule, 3-locular ; style erect 

 elongate, capitate at hollow apex ; lobes stigmatose 3 or 6 (3 alter- 

 nate scarcely perceptible). Ovule in cells 1 (of Rhamnus); micropylc 

 introrsely inferior, finally lateral. Fruit drupaceous, girt at base 

 with cupule of receptacle ; exocarp finally dry coriaceous ; endocarp 

 2, 3-coccous ; cocci crustaceous, 2-valvate. Seeds plano-convex ; 

 testa coriaceous ; albumen fleshy ; cotyledons of erect embryo com- 

 pressed ; radicle short inferior. — Shrubs generally leafless ; branches 

 decussate spinescent, sometimes thick compressed very rigid ; leaves 

 opposite very small, squarniforin (or 0) ; flowers below spines 

 solitary or cymose few; pedicels short and slender wavering. 

 {Warm and temp. South America.) See p. 62. 



34 ? Discaria Hook.i — Flowers (nearly of Colletia) 4-5-merous, 

 sometimes apetalous (Notophœna'~) ; tube of calyx terete or cam- 

 panulate, more or less produced beyond disk. Petals equal in 

 number to lobes of calyx (or sometimes 0) inserted in hollows of 

 orifice of calyx-tube cucullate small. Stamens of Colletia, inserted 

 with and opposite to petals; anthers 2-rimose (Ochctophila 5 ) or from 

 apical confluence of cells horseshoe-like rimose (Eudiscaria). Disk 

 lining bottom of tube, annular, entire or lobed at margin free. 

 Germen generally subglobular, sub-3-lobed, at base adnate to or 

 immersed in concavity of receptacle ; cells 3 ; ovule 4 and other 



1 Bot. Misc. i. 156, t. 44, 45.— Endl. Gen. n. ' Pcepp. Endl. Gen. n. 6733.— Miers, Ann. 



6731.— Miers, Ann. Nat. Hist. ser. 3, v. 370 ; Hat. Hist. loc. cit. 376; Contrib. i. 279, t. 



Contrib. i. 273, t. 38.— B. H. Gen. 383, n. 29.— 39. 



Tetrapasma Don, Gen. Si/st. ii. 40. 4 Double integument. 



- Miers, Contrib. i. 266, t. 37. 



