214 NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 
II. ANCISTROCLADUS SERIES. 
The flowers of Ancistrocladus (fig. 216) are regular, with a 
receptacle in the form of a cup, upon the edges of which are inserted 
five sepals, often unequal, disposed in the bud in quincuncial præ- 
floration. The androceum is generally formed of ten stamens 
perigynously inserted like the perianth and superposed, five to the 
sepals, and five, smaller, to the petals. These 
latter are sometimes wanting. Each is formed 
of a filament swollen towards its base, and of 
a two-celled introrse anther, often versatile, 
dehiscing by two longitudinal clefts. The 
gynæceum is composed of an ovary, partly in- 
ferior, and lodged in the cavity of the recep- 
tacle, surmounted by three divergent styles 
tapering at the base and swelling towards 
their summit into stigmatiferous heads. The 
apex of the ovary is full, hemispherical or 
conical, and its lower part is hollowed into a 
single inferior cell, in which is found one lateral, or almost basilar, 
ascending anatropous ovule* with micropyle looking downwards. 
The fruit is coriaceous, indehiscent, monospermous, encased below in 
the receptacle and surrounded by five sepals growing into more 
or less rigid membranous wings. The seed encloses under its 
thin coats a thick coriaceous albumen deeply ruminate, an axile 
embryo, the cotyledons of which are divaricate, much broader than 
long, and sometimes truncate at the apex, with an inferior radicle often 
dilated and truncate at the apex. Ancistrocladus consists of climbing 
and glabrous shrubs with branches often hooked, and alternate 
sessile or petiolate, simple, entire, coriaceous, penninerved, reticulated 
leaves with small stipules, often caducous. The flowers’ are disposed 
in ramified clusters of cymes either terminal or borne laterally 
Ancistrocladus guineensis, 

Fig. 216. 
Long. sect. of flower. 

} Wat, Cat., n. 1052 (1828).—Pt., in Ann. Nat. Selsk. Kjobenh., vi. (1810), 104 (nec Rorrs.) 
Se. Nat., sér. 3, xiii, 316.—Tuw., in Zrans. —Bigamea KŒN., mss. ex ENDI. Gen. n. 
Linn, Soc., xxi, 233, t. 24; in Journ. Linn. 6095 (1840).—Dvyer, in Fl. of Ind., i, 299. 
Soc., vii. 111.—B. H., Gen., 191, 981, n. 3. 2 Articulate perhaps at this level. 
—SCHNIZL,, Iconogr., t. 213.—A. DC., Prodr., 3 Or incompletely campylotropous (?). 
xvi. 601 (ord. 29 bis)— Wormia Vaut, in Ser. 4 Often small, articulate, caducous. 
