148 



NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



Mulberries and are buried in the cavities hollowed in the com- 

 mon receptacle ; so much so that the fruit which succeeds is 



Broussonetia papyri/era. 



Fig. 105. Female inflorescence. 



Fig. 104. Male flower (f). Fig. 106. Female flowers ($). 



Broussonetia papyri/era. 



completely encased in this receptacle accrescent after fecundation. 

 The style is single or formed of two very unequal branches. They 

 are American trees. Beside Madura is placed Caturus, having the 



same inflorescence, with 

 the female flowers of 

 Broussonetia, but the 

 fruit, sessile on the com- 

 mon receptacle, is sur- 

 rounded by the persist- 

 ent urceolate calyx. The 

 male flowers are gene- 

 rally trimerous ; but in 

 one species, of which a 

 genus, AUœantlms, has 

 been made, they are 

 tetramerous and tetran- 

 drous. They are un- 

 armed trees and sbrubs 

 of tropical Asia and 

 Oceania. With the fun- 

 damental organisation of 

 flowers, andrœcium and gynœcium of the preceding genera, Pleco- 

 spermum and Carcliogync are distinguished in that the inflorescence of 

 both sexes has a spherical receptacle on which the glomerules are 



Fig. 103. Male in- 

 florescence. 



Fig. 107. Fructiferous branch. 



