capparidacejE. 173 



Plate 75. 

 CLEOMELLA, DC. 



Petala fere sessilia, asqualia. Stamina 6, toro brevi colum- 

 nari imposita. Capsula siliculasformis, longissime stipitata, 

 dilatato-rhomboidea, obcompressa ; valvis navicularibus cassi- 

 daeformibus. Semina 4-6, conduplicata. — Herba annua, 

 trifoliolata ; racemis virgatis foliosis ; floribus flavis. 



Cleomella, DC. Prodr. 1. p. 237. Torr. in Ann. Lye. Nat. Hist. New 

 York, 2. p. 157. Hook. Ic. PI. t. 28. Torr. & Gray, Fl. N. 

 Am. 1. p. 120. Endl. Gen. 4963. 



Calyx small, a little spreading ; the sepals 4, distinct, 

 ovate-lanceolate, membranaceous, erose-serrate, imbricated in 

 early aestivation, deciduous. Petals 4, imbricated in aesti- 

 vation, equal or nearly so, spreading, oval or oblong, entire, 

 narrowed at the base but scarcely unguiculate, hypogynous 

 at the base of the torus, deciduous. Torus short-columnar, 

 rather shorter than the calyx, destitute of any glandular ap- 

 pendage. Stamens 6, equal, inserted on the summit of the 

 torus, longer than the petals, deciduous : filaments filiform, 

 free : anthers linear-oblong, fixed by the base, the cells in- 

 trorsely dehiscent longitudinally. Ovary ovoid, raised from 

 the centre of the truncate torus on a long filiform stipe (gy- 

 nophore), one-celled, with two parietal placentae (anterior 

 and posterior) : stigma nearly sessile, undivided, obtuse. 

 Ovules 2 or 4 upon each placenta, usually a single pair from 

 above the middle of each, nearly horizontal, amphitropous, 

 soon campy lotropous. • 



Capsule silicle-like, dilated-rhomboidal, compressed ante- 

 riorly and posteriorly, that is, contrary to the deeply navicu- 

 lar or helmet-shaped valves, stipitate on a filiform gynophore 

 (of twice its length or more) which surmounts the oblong 

 columnar torus, strictly one-celled, two-valved ; the minutely 



