CASTANEACEM. 201 



IV? BALANOPSE^. 



8. Balanops. H. Bn. — Flowers dioecious ; males naked, consisting 

 of stamens co (generally 3-10), subumbellate on very small convex 

 receptacle ; filaments short erect, sometimes connate at base ; anthers 

 introrse, 2-rimose. Female flowers solitary ; receptacle short, some- 

 times subcupular; folioles of perianth (?) oo , thick unequal, greater 

 from exterior to interior, imbricate. Germen free, suddenly attenuate 

 from base, narrowing at apex to 2-partite style; branches linear- 

 subulate papillose, 2-fid; cells of germen 2, very incomplete. Ovules 

 in each 2.nate, inserted on placentiform dissepiment, ascending; 

 micropyle extrorsely superior ; funicles slender unequal erect, dilated 

 at apex to obturator covering micropyle. Fruit surrounded at base 

 by persistent and cupuliform calyx (?), ovoid accuminate subbacate ; 

 mesocarp more or less pulpy ; endocarp finally subcompletely septate. 

 Seeds in cells solitary suberect ; coat glabrous ; cotyledons of slightly 

 albuminous straight embryo ovate, foliaceous or rather thick ; radicle 

 short inferior. — Trees or shrubs ; leaves alternate or spuriously ver- 

 ticillate, coriaceous, penninerved exstipulate ; male catkins solitary 

 or few fasciculate springing from wood of branches, breaking from 

 perulate bud, slender and loaded with remotely alternate 1 bracteolate 

 flowers; female flowers often crowded sessile on wood. (iV^ Oale- 

 donia). — See p. 240. 



V? LEITNEEIA. 



9. Leitneria Chapm. — Flowers dioecious amentaceous; males 

 consisting of stamens 5-10, inserted in axil of scales of catkin and 

 more or less connate with its base ; filaments free ; anthers introrse, 

 2-rimose. Female flowers in axil of bracts solitary, either naked, 

 or surrounded by a minute unequally 3-4-lobed calyx, laterally 

 bracteolate (and sometimes increased by a few stamens) ; germen 

 free, 1-locular, attenuate to elongate recurved style stigmatose and 

 and sulcate within. Ovule 1,. inserted in internal angle descending, 

 incompletely anatropous ; micropyle extrorsely superior. Fruit 

 oblong drupaceous ; flesh scanty ; putamen 1-spermous. Seed 

 descending; cotyledons of slightly albuminous embryo rather flat 

 and fleshy ; radicle superior. — A small tree ; leaves alternate 



