40 NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 
convex receptacle bears two valvate sepals, anterior and posterior, 
and an indefinite’ number of free stamens, each formed of a slender 
filament, and an elongated linear versatile anther, inserted towards 
the lower part of its back upon the apex of the filament, bilocular, 
Thelygonum Cynocrambe. 

Fia. 63. Fria. 64. Fra. 65. 
Male flower (#). Female flower (4). Long. section of fruit (+). 
introrse, dehiscing by two longitudinal sublateral clefts. In the 
female flower there is a little gamophyllous perianth at first tubular, 
with a superior tridentate orifice. The enormous development which 
afterwards takes place in one side of the ovary, makes the perianth 
by which it is surrounded present on this side a great gibbosity. 
The gynæceum is superior and unicarpellary ; it is composed of a one- 
celled ovary and a lateral gynobasic erect style, swollen into a club 
towards its stigmatiferous apex. In the ovary cell, quite close to 
the base, is seen a placenta, which supports an almost erect campy- 
lotropous ovule with inferior micropyle. The fruit becomes a mono- 
spermous drupe, with a thin sarcocarp; and the campylotropal seed 
contains under its coats a curved embryo, with narrow incumbent 
cotyledons, the cylindro-conical radicle with inferior apex being enve- 
loped by a fleshy albumen more or less abundant. The only species of 
this genus is 2! Cynocrambe a small annual oleraceous herb, which 
grows in the Mediterranean region. Its leaves are simple and petiolate, 
the enlarged base of the petiole expanding on each side into a sort 
of membranous incised stipule. The inferior are opposite, and the 
superior alternate. The flowers occupy their axils arranged in small 

1 There are generally ten or a dozen, some- 2 L, Spec., 144.—DC., Fl. Fr., iii. 399.— 
times more. Their number can even be as small GReEN. et Gopr., FV. de Fr, iii. 111. 
as two or three. 
