MYRTACE^. 



315 



Their receptacle is 

 Its margin bears five 



Leptospermmn fla/vescens. 



generally hermaphrodite ' and pentamerous. 

 concave, obconical or nearly and widely open, 

 sepals, primarily imbricate,^ membranous, 

 and as many alternate petals, imbricate in 

 the bud. The latter are inserted outside the 

 margin of a glandular disk which lines the 

 cavity of the receptacle. The same is the 

 case with the stamens formed each of a short ^ 

 free filament, inflexed in the bud, and a 

 short bilocular introrse anther, dehiscing by 

 two longitudinal clefts, afterwards versatile. 

 They are indefinite in number, sometimes 

 few, and appear, at adult age, disposed in a 

 single series, though unequal.* The gynse- 

 cium is composed of an inferior ovary, im- 

 bedded at the bottom of a receptaeular cavity 

 united with it to a variable extent, above ^ 

 almost flat or slightly convex. It may have 

 five oppositipetalous cells, or less," or many 

 more,^ and it is surmounted by a style, the 

 stigmatiferous extremity of which is trun- 

 cate, or capitate, or peltate. In the internal 

 angle of each cell are found ovules ordinarily Fig. 290. Fioriferous branch (j). 

 very numerous, more rarely indefinite in 



number. The mode of insertion is very variable. Sometimes they 

 are arranged in two series, on a slight placentary projection, and 

 sometimes in a circle on the margin of a peltate placenta, itself 

 attached to the internal angle by a short horizontal or oblique foot.® 

 They are anatropous, rectilinear, or curved.^ The fruit (fig. 293), 

 the base of which is imbedded in the receptaeular capsule, is a de- 

 pressed, loculicidal capsule, the seeds of which, linear, cuneiform or 

 angular, not unfrequently winged or ciliate, enclose a straight fleshy 

 embryo, with elongate cotyledons. Lejptospermum consists of small 



' The gynaecium is not unfreqiiently aborted. 



^ A character -which soon disappeaiB. 



' Its base is often swollen and articulate as it 

 were to the margin of the disk. 



■• With 30 or 35 stamens, for example, there 

 are often i, 5, before each sepal and 1-3 before 

 each petal. With 15, there will be frequently 

 2 facing each petal. The connective often 



bears near its summit a dorsal gland found in 

 many of the neighbouring genera. 



' It may bear glandular processes. 



" Ordinarily 3 in the sect. Fericalymna. 



' To 10 in Fabricitt. 



^ On the small value of these variations, see 

 Bull. Soc. Linn, Far. 66. 



* The ovular coat is double. 



