50 



NATVRAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



alternate and five superposed, all united among themselves below in 

 a tube from ■wbicli tbey separate,^ eacb supporting a bilocular introrse 

 versatile antber debiscing by two longitudinal clefts.^ The gynseceum 

 is free, formed of an ovary generally tbree celled, tbe two posterior 

 cells being surmounted by a style divided more or less bigb, but 



Mrythroxylon Coca. 



Fig. 81 



rig. 82. Mowers (f). 



Fig. 80. Floriferous 'brancli (4). 



Fig. 83. Long. sect, of 

 flower. 



generally near the base,^ into three branches whose stigmatiferous 

 summit is swollen into a head or club. There is generally but one 

 fertile cell, while the others are empty and often very little developed ; 

 the anterior one is fertile presenting in its internal angle one, or more 

 rarely two descendent ovules, with micropyle looking outwards and up- 

 wards.* The fruit is a drupe accompanied at the base by the re- 

 mains of the calyx and androceum, and with a stone, often thia, 

 containing a seed whose coats cover an albumen^ of variable thickness. 



1 The tase of their free part is often encircled 

 by an exterior ring or collarette, entire or crenate, 

 formed by the superior edge of the tube. 



2 Consequently often extrorse in the expanded 

 flower ; the position which it occupies at first in 

 certain living species such as E. Coca. 



^ It is in the Indian Sethias, (of which it is pro- 



posed to make a completely distinct genus) and 

 in some Brazilian species that the union of the 

 styles extend highest. 



* It has two coats. 



* It is sometimes reduced to a membrane, 

 oftener it is fleshy, thick round the radicle, and 

 towards the back of the cotyledons. 



