306 



NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



a certain number of imbricate folioles, generally smaller and tbicker 

 as tbey are more exterior. The interior are larger, membranous, 

 coloured ; ' these are tbe petals varying in number from four to eight 

 or ten. The more exterior or sepals, often decussate, 2 are from four 

 to ten in number, and often persist at the base of the fruit. Tbe 

 stamens are numerous in tbe male flowers (fig. 357). They are 

 furnished with filaments free or united to a variable extent, forming 



Clusia rosea. 



Fig. 355. Female flower seen from above (A). 



Fig. 35C. Female flower seen from below. 



sometimes a column of very various height and sometimes a nearly 

 globular mass. Anthers may be wanting in the interior and exterior, 

 or, where developed, may be exserted or immergea, and open in a 

 very variable manner ; 3 they are formed of two or of a great number 

 of cells or cellules. 4 In the centre of the andrœcium, there may be 

 a rudimentary gynœcium more or less prominent. In the female 



(part), Sphtsrandra Pl. et. Tiu. Triplandron 

 Bentu. Nanti" Schreb.). — Cenckramidea Fluk. 



(ex Adans. Inc. cit.). 



1 White, pink, or yellow. 



'- They often graduate imperceptibly to bracts, 

 and these are numerous and decussate in Arrudea 

 (A. S.-H. FI. Bras. Mer. i. 318, t. 6G ;— JEni.l. 

 (/,ii. n. 513!); Pl. et Tui. Ami. Se. Nat. sér. 4. 

 xiv. 230), referred by MM. Bentham and 

 Hooker to the section Phlaiaiit'iera of the genus 

 Clusia. It is the same in the sepals of Oxyste- 

 mon (Pl. et Tri. Ann. tic. Nat. sér. 3, xiii. 314 ; 

 xiv. 226), referred by the same authors to the 

 sect. Euclusia of the genus Clusia. 



3 On these characters are based the three sec- 

 tions retained in this genus (B. H. he. cit.) : 

 " 1. Euclusia (Pl. et Tri.). Exterior stamens 

 numerous fertile with linear free anthers, inte- 



rior stamens sterile and united in a spherical 

 mass. — 2. Sphœrandra (Pl. et Tri.). Stamens 

 all united in a solid spherical or elongate mass 

 witli anthers imbedded in the summit adnate or 

 slightly prominent. To this are referred the sec- 

 tions of the authors cited : Omphalarithcra, Gom- 

 phanthera, Phloiaitthera, and Rctinostemon, with 

 its 6 sub-sections or distinct types. — 3. Criuva. 

 Staminal filaments short, free, or more or less 

 united at base. To this are referred the sections 

 of the authors cited : Cordylandra, Clusiastrum, 

 Stauroclusia, Cruviopsis, Criuva, and Anundro- 

 gyne." 



4. In C. insignis the pollen-grain is a "flat- 

 tened sphere, with three very short folds similar 

 to the pores." (H. Mohl, Ann. Sc. Nat. sér. 2. 

 iii. 329.) 



