216 NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 
short subulate reflexed branches generally disappearing early. From 
the base of the cell rises a central placenta, bearing on each side two 
rows of rather numerous ascending imbricated anatropous ovules, 
with the micropyle looking downwards and outwards. The fruit is 
dry, indehiscent, generally monospermous ; and round it persists the 
calyx, its pieces more or less accrescent, and becoming dry, rigid, 
very unequal wings. One of these surpasses all the others in 
length. The seed encloses under its coats a large fleshy embryo, 
Lophira alata, 



Fia. 219. Fra. 220, 
Gynæceum (+). Placenta bearing ovules (5), 
with inferior radicle, and thick subequal cotyledons. Only one 
species of this genus is known—Z. «lala? It isa fine pyramidal tree, 
native of Western Tropical Africa. ‘The leaves are alternate, simple, 
entire, elongated, often undulated, penninerved, and the nerves parallel, 
numerous, scarcely reticulated. The flowers* are collected at the 
apex of the branches, or in the axils of the leaves, in more or less 
ramified compound racemes. 

1 Tt represents the most exterior sepal. Sepal 2 Banks, loc, cit-—GuitieM. & Perr., Fi. 
2 is often tolerably developed in the flower and  Seneg. Tent., i. 109, t. 24.—Ottv., F1. Trop. Afr., 
round the oblong pointed fruit, The inequality i. 174.—Watp., Rep.v. 128.—L. simplex Don, 
of the leaves begins from the bud, where sepals Gen. Syst., i. 814.—L, africana Don (ex A. 
3, 4, and 5 are shortest, almost orbicular, obtuse, DC. Prodr., xvi. 639). 
meinbranous, while the other two, which are # Whitish. 
thicker, approach the lanceolate form. 
