THE CAPER TRIBE. 41 



and the largest and oldest of the worst quality. But 

 let us examine the Caper plant more systematically. 



It is an undershrub, with long, smooth, shining, 

 trailing, purple branches, bearing alternate, ovate, flat, 

 dull green leaves, edged with purple, and placed upon 

 a short purple stalk. At the base of the stalk, on 

 each side, is a short straight spine, supposed to be a 

 disguised stipule. From the axils of the leaves the 

 flowers (fig. 1.) grow singly, on hard, smooth, purple 

 stalks. They have four, spreading, oblong, obtuse, 

 concave sepals ; four white petals, notched at the end, 

 downy at their base, and so placed that two adhere to 

 each other, as if really united ; there is a large number 

 of stamens growing from the base of a central column, 

 with thread-shaped filaments ; and, finally, the ovary 

 (fiy. 1. h.) is an oval purple case, growing on the end 

 of a long cylindrical gynophore (fig. 1. «.). The 

 interior of the ovary (fig. 5.) is very like that of the 

 poppy (Plate I. 2. fig. 6.), having several plates 

 covered with ovules, projecting from the shell, and not 

 meeting in the middle : the placentation being there- 

 fore parietal. The stigma is a roundish, sessile, pur- 

 ple tip to the ovary (fig. 4. d.). At the base of the 

 g}Tiophore, on one side of a sort of cushion that 

 bears the stamens, is a small, ovate, convex, gland-like 

 disk (fig. 4. a.). When the fruit is ripe it becomes 

 an oblong, knobby body (fig. 6.), filled with finii pulp, 

 within which the seeds lie in as many rows as there 

 previously were placentae. The seeds themselves are 

 very like those of Mignonette, only smooth, not warted. 

 I have already said that the Capers of the shops are 



