38 NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



IV. BALBISIE^. 



8. Balbisia Cav. — Flowers regular hermaphrodite; receptacle 

 convex. Sepals 5, imbricate, persistent. Petals same in number, 

 alternate, contorted. Glands 0. Stamens 10, hypogynous, 2- 

 seriate free ; anthers at margin or subextrorsely rimose. Germ en 

 superior; cells 5, alternipetalous ; styles divided later into five 

 lobes, Ungulate, stigmatiferous inwardly and at margin; ovules 

 inserted at internal angle of cells oo, anatropous. Capsule septioidal 

 and at apex loculicidal ; valves 5, persistent at middle of septa and 

 below axis ; seeds oo , angular ; albumen thin fleshy ; embryo folded ; 

 radicle incumbent or enclosed between corrugate cotyledons. — TJn- 

 dershrubs more or less canescent ; leaves alternate and opposite 

 exstipulate, generally 3-partite ; flowers terminal solitary peduncu- 

 late ; bracts oo , linear inserted forming epicalyx below calyx. {Peru ' 

 and Chili suhlitt.) Seep. 11. 



9. Wendtia Meten. — Flowers (nearly of Balbisia) 10-androus; 

 germen 3-locular (or more rarely 4-locular ;) style branches same in 

 number, Ungulate. Ovules in cells 2, collaterally descendent ; 

 micropyle extrorsely superior. Capsules loculicidal 3-valved at 

 apex. — Small ramified shrubs; leaves opposite small 3-5-lobed or 

 dissected ; flowers terminal pedunculate solitary or scantily cymose ; 

 bracts linear forming epicalyx inserted below calyx. (South Peru, 

 Chili.) See p. 12. 



10. Rhynchotheca E.- et Pav. — Flowers (nearly of Wendtia) 

 apetalous ; germen cells 5, oppositisepalous ; style shortly 5-lobed ; 

 lobes stigmatiferous, thickly Ungulate ; ovules ia cells 2, descendent ; 

 micropyle extrorse superior. Fruit capsular ; lobes from columella 

 septifragally solute, not revolute. Seeds in cells usually solitary, 

 scantily albuminous ; embryo of flat cotyledon straight. — Much 

 ramifled small shrubs sometimes spinescent ; leaves opposite small, 

 entire or 5-lobed; flowers terminal pedicellate subumbellate, 

 ecalyculate. (South America Andes.) See p. 13. 



11. Viviania Cav.— Flowers (nearly of Wendtia or Balbisia) 

 4, 5-merous ; sepals free or connate at base, valvate. Petals con- 

 torted. Glands 4, 5, alternipetalous, entire or 2-fid. Stamens 

 8-10, 2-seriate, all fertile. Germen 2, 3-looular ; ovules in cells 2, 



