GENEEA. 



I. EHAMNE^. 



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1. Rhamnus T. — riowers hermaplirodite or polygamo-dioecious ; 

 receptacle very concave, obconical or urceolate, lined with a thin or 

 more rarely somew^hat thickened disk entire at apex. Sepals 4, 5, 

 3-angular, valvate, inserted at margin of receptacle. Petals 4, 5, (or 

 sometimes 0), small, cucuUate, or flat. Stamens same in number 

 oppositipetalous, inserted with perianth ; filaments short ; anthers 

 introrse, 2-rimose. Germen inserted at base of receptacle (in male 

 flower effete rudimentary), free, 3-4-locular ; style erect, at apex 

 more or less deeply 3-4-lobate or ramose stigmatose. Ovule in cells 

 1, suberect; micropyle introrsely inferior, finally more or less 

 lateral. Fruit drupaceous, spherical or oblong, girt at base with 

 very short annular scar of receptacle ; pyrense 2-4, osseous or 

 cartilaginous, finally obscurely dehiscent within or opening at 

 base, oftener indehiscent. Seeds obovate compressed or sulcata, 

 sometimes dilated at base to a short aril, albumen fleshy (some- 

 times 0) ; cotyledons of straight embryo flat or recurved at margin, 

 foliaceous or fleshy ; radicle inferior short. — Trees or shrubs ; leaves 

 alternate subopposite (deciduous or persistent) petiolate, entire or 

 dentate ; stipules lateral small, deciduous ; flowers axillary in simple 

 fasciculate or ramosely compound cymes. {All warm and temp, 

 regions.) See p. 52. 



2. Bhamnidium Reiss.i — Flowers nearly of Rhamnus ; recep- 

 tacle subturbinate or shortly obconical, lined with a disk. Perianth 



' Mart. Fl. Bras. Shamn. 94, t. 31.— B. H. Gen. 378, n. 11. 



