160 PODOSTEMACEARUM MONGGRAPHIA. 



§§. Uniloculares. — Capsula unilocularis , placenta spurie centrali. 



XV. SPHiEROTIIYLAX. 



Sph.erothylax Bischoff ap. Krauss, Pflanz. des Cap u. Natal. Landes, 

 in Florwl. II (i 844), P- 426. 



Flos androgynus, achJamydeus, primodum involucratus occul- 

 tatus , postea exsertus, pedicello erecto declinatove. Involucuum 

 {spatlia BiscH.) breve, subglobosum, initio clausum, apice tandem 

 irregulariter disrupto-lacerum, apertum et subinfundibLdiforme. 

 Androceum summo pedicello insertum, unilaterale, hypogynum, 

 erectum et unius e carpidiis cui opponitur dorso incumbens. Sta- 

 MiNA 2 monadelpha; filamentwn commune planum, medium versus 

 V. supra bifurcum, crureutroque i -antberifero ; anZ/iertc late oblon- 

 gse, dorso affixse, introrsae et a-lobse, lobis quadamtenus inaequa- 

 libus, utroque apice discretis et rima longitudiuali dehiscentibus. 

 Staminodia 2 linearia, oequalia, filamento fertili saepius breviori ac 

 intermedio apposite coUateralia. Ovarium ellipsoideum, oblique 

 sessile, striatum, i-loculare, indefiniteque ovulatum; placeiita de 

 specie axilis (libera)^ crassissima et ellipsoideo-globosa; ovula ana- 

 tropa, peritropa, apoda, placentae applicita; septum nullum v. 

 indistinctum. Stigmata 2 terminalia contigua libera et breviter 

 linearia. Capsula nutans v. erecta, 8-12-costuIata, i-Iocularis et 

 2-vaIvis, valvis nonnihil inaequalibus, altera minore cito decidua, 

 aitera androceo contigua persistente. Semina numerosa '. 



' Generis illustris couditor id insequenti niodo ipse definiri voluit : " Spatha subglo- 

 » bosa, vertice irregulariter rupta. Flos inclusus pedicellatus. Perigoniom nuUum. Sia- 

 » mina 3 coUateralia, basi connata; 2 lateralia sterilia, intermediuin bifidum anlheras 2, 

 » loculis inaequalibus , gerens. Stigmata 2 sessilia tuberculiformia. Capsola exserta nutans, 

 » costata , bilocularis , 2-valvis et polysperma , dissepimento crasso placentiformi libero , 

 » valva inferiore sub dehiscentiam decidua. » (Bisclioff', 1. c.) 



