7 I MENISPERMACEjE. 



from each flower), somewhat stipitate, globular, excentric, 

 marked by the vestige of the stigma near the base ; the real 

 apex of the pericarp being incurved or bent down upon itself 

 during growth, like a campylotropous seed : the bony pu- 

 tamen accordingly annular-reniform, laterally compressed, 

 smooth and as if excavated on each side, longitudinally two- 

 grooved and transversely rugose-tuberculate round the cir- 

 cumference. Seed reniform, conformed to the cavity of the 

 putamen : testa membranaceous. Embryo slender, terete, 

 curved into rather more than a semicircle, or nearly in the 

 form of a horseshoe, occupying the axis of the fleshy albu- 

 men, and almost of equal length : the long and slender radi- 

 cle pointing to the organic apex of the fruit : cotyledons 

 very slender, incnmbently contiguous. 



Suffruticose vines ; the zoncless wood with few and 

 very broad medullary rays. Leaves alternate, exstipulate, 

 rounded, palmately veined and angulate-lobed, long-petioled, 

 peltate near the cordate sinus. Flowers small, white, in 

 small panicles. Peduncles more or less supra-axillary. 



Etymology. From iir/vt), the moon, and cjnr'pjua , seed. 



Properties. The fruit is probably noxious, and the root tonic-demulcent. 



Geographical Distribution!, &c. The original species is common 

 throughout the United States and Southern Canada ; and the second, which 

 very closely resembles ours, is Siberian. My specimens of the latter are not 

 apetalous (as is said in Torr. 4 Gray, Flora N. Amer. I. c). 



PLATE 29. Menispermum Canadense, Linn.; — flowering branch of 

 the sterile plant ; natural size. 



1. Diagram of the aestivation of the floral envelopes. 



2. Staminate flower, enlarged. 



3. A sepal ; 4, a petal, and 5, a stamen, enlarged. 



6. Transverse section of an anther, enlarged. 



7. A pistillate flower, enlarged. 



8. Pistils, more magnified; with 2 sterile stamen 



9. Vertical section of a pistil, magnified. 



10. A drupe, and receptacle ; natural size. 



1 1 . Same, enlarged ; upper part of the sarcocarp cut away. 



12. Putamen ; the upper part removed, showing two sections of the embryo. 



13. Vertical section of the drupe and seed : embryo seen in place. 



14. Seed detached ; 15, embryo, detached ; — all the latter magnified. 



