TILIACE^. 93 



Plate 137. 



CORCHORUS, Tourn. 



Petala 5, obovata vel spathulata, calyci sequalia sen brevio- 

 ra, aestivatione convoluta. Stamina indefinita, rariusve peta- 

 lis nimiero dupla, discreta. Ovarium 2 -5-lociilare ; loculis 

 biseriatim pluriovulatis. Capsula soepius elongato-siliqusefor- 

 mis, loculicide 2 - 5-valvis, polysperma. — Herbae vel suffru- 

 tices, pedunculis brevissimis oppositifoliis uni-paucifloris. 



CoRCHOKus, Tourn. Inst. t. 135. Linn. Gen. 675. Lam. III. t. 478. 

 Gsrtn. Fr. 1. t. 64, & 2. t. 179. DC. Prodr. 1. p. 504. St. Hil. 

 Fl. Bras. 1. p. 279. t. 55. Endl. Gen. 5371. 



Calyx of five lanceolate sepals, valvate in asstivation, 

 deciduous. Petals 5, alternate with the sepals, hypogynous, 

 oblong-obovate or spatulate, shorter than the sepals or of 

 about the same length, convolute in asstivation, deciduous. 

 Stamens indefinite, or sometimes definite, rarely only twice 

 as many as the petals, deciduous : filaments filiform, dis- 

 tinct, equally inserted around the edge of an urceolate hy- 

 pogynous torus : anthers introrse, two-celled ; the cells par- 

 allel and apposite, oblong, opening longitudinally, Ovarv 

 two -five-celled (at first sometimes imperfectly so): style 

 subulate or filiform: stigma terminal, infundibular-dilated, 

 the edge crenulate. Ovules numerous in two series, cover- 

 ing the internal angle of each cell, collateral, (their raphes 

 side by side,) anatropous, pendulous. 



Capsule commonly siliquasform and elongated, two -five- 

 celled, sometimes extended at the apex into as many short 

 horns, loculicidally two - five-valved ; the dissepiments ad- 

 hering to the middle of the valves, leaving no central axis. 

 Seeds numerous in two series in each cell, angled, often 

 quadrangular, pendulous ; the testa crustaceous. Embryo 

 large, in the axis of fleshy albumen, variously folded togeth- 

 er : COTYLEDONS foliaccous, entire : radicle superior. 



