24 NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 
in the species easiest to study here, P. decandra (figs. 21-28), 
there are, as indicated by the specific name, ten stamens, each 
formed of a filament free or united for a very short distance with 
the base of the neighbouring filaments, and a nearly oboval, bilo- 
cular, introse anther, dehiscing by two longitudinal clefts.’ 
Phytolacea decandra. 

Fie. 22. 
Flower (5). 
Fig. 23. Fra. 24. 

Fic. 26. 
Seed (4). 
Fra, 27. 
Longitudinal section of seed. 
Fig, 25. 
Fruit (#). 
These stamens are hypogynous, placed upon a single verticil and 
corresponding by pairs to the intervals of the sepals (fig. 23). The 
gynæceum is free and superior; in most of the flowers it is composed 
of ten carpels, five being superposed to the sepals and five alternate. 
They are united below, and free above to a distance which 
varies not only with the age of the flower,’ but even in different 

Ness, Fl. Germ., fase. viii. t. 2,—ENDL., Gen., 
n. 5262.—PayeErR, Organog., 303, t. 63.—Moa., 
in DC., Prodr., xiii. sect. ii. 31, n. 13.—LEM. et 
Donet., Tr. Gén., 455.—Phytolaca RAFIN., Fl, 
Tell., n. 627.—Sarcoca RAFIN., loc. cit., n. 628. 
— Pireunia Mog., Prodr., 29 (nec BERTER.). 
* L.,, Spec., 631.—Ture., in Dict. Se. Nat. 
atl., t. 20.—R&yv., in Bot. Méd, du xix° siècle, 
ii. t. 5.— Bot. Mag. t. 931.—P. vulgaris. 
Drrz, Elth., ii. 318, t. 239, f. 309. (Grape of 
America, Canada, of the dyers, sweet Spinnage, 
Méchoacan of Canada, Herbe à la laque, Great 
Nightshade of India.) 
? According to H. Moun (in Ann. Se. Nat. 
sér. 2, iii, 331), the pollen is ovoid or spherical ; 
three grooves; in water globular, with three 
narrow bands, P, abyssinia, P. scandens. 
3 At first in almost their whole height, be- 
cause they are raised by a common basilar por- 
tion. Even in the green fruit, where they are 
united to a great extent, ten deep grooves may 
be distinguished which separate them one from 
another, but these grooves disappear in almost 
the whole length of the ripe fruit, which is 
smooth on the surface (fig. 25). 
