278 NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 
lodged in the vertical furrows of the disk. The single ovary cell 
encloses from six to eight ovules, inserted nearly at its summit. In 
Letia, the petaloid sepals are, on the contrary, much imbricated, and 
the ovary has three parietal plurio- 
vulate placentas, and a single style 
with swollen stigmatiferous apex, en- 
tire or slightly three-lobed. Herma- 
phrodite in the two latter genera, in 
Idesia the flowers are dicecious, as in 
Dovyalis and Trimeria, their recep- 
tacle enlarged into a kind of plate, 
recalling the cup-shape which it takes 
in the Samydee. Upon its edges it 
bears an imbricated calyx, and more 
internally, stamens in great number, 
with a small rudimentary gynæceum 
in the centre. In the female flowers 
this becomes fertile, with from three to six pluriovulate placentas, 
a similar number of styles divergent from the base, and a fleshy 
indehiscent fruit, the numerous seeds lodged in a soft pulp.’ 
Xylosma Paliurus. 

Fie, 301. 
Female flower (5). 
Fie. 302. 
Long. sect. of 
female flower. 

lil. SAMYDA SERIES. 
Samyda’ (figs. 303-306), which has given its name to this group, 
does not represent, as we shall presently see, the most perfect type of 
it. These are, we may say, perigynous Macourtliee, with regular, 
hermaphrodite, and apetalous flowers. The receptacle has the form 
of a cup more or less elongated into a tube, bearing on its edges a 
petaloid perianth,’ continuous with it, the five divisions being dis- 
posed in the bud in quincuncial præfloration : there are rarely four or 
1 The genus Streptothamnus (F. MuEzx.,  voluble, with alternate entire trinerved leaves 
Fragm. Phyt. Austral., iii, 27;—BENTH. F1. 
Austral., i. 108;—B. H., Gen., 972, n. 7 a) 
has been ascribed doubtfully to this group. It 
is incompletely known, having flowers with five 
imbricated sepals and petals, numerous stamens 
with apiculate anthers, and an ovary with 
parietal multiovulate placentas, surmounted by 
a style with peltate stigmatiferous extremity. 
The fruit is a polyspermous berry with albu- 
minous seeds, The two known species are 
and axillary solitary flowers. 
2? L., Gen., n. 543.—J., Gen., 439.— GÆRTN. 
F., Fruct., iii. 239, t. 224.—Porr., Dict., vi. 
487; Suppl., v. 31.—Lamx. Z/1., t. 355.—DC,, 
Prodr., ii. 47.—Ture.in Dict. Se. Nat., Al, 
t. 245, 246.—ENDL., G'en., n. 5059.— PAYER, 
Fam. Nat. 93.—B. H., Gen. 791, n. 5.— 
Sadymia GRISEB., Fl, Brit. W.-Ind., 25, 
3 White, pink, or greenish. 
