68 NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



All are formed of a filament and a continuous anther, dehiscing by 

 an apical pore situated quite at the top of the apex elongated into a 

 rostrum. There are four cellules to the anther aU 

 putytheca vertMiata. gituated in the Same vertical plane.^ The gyngeceum 

 is free, formed of an ovary with two ceUs, one 

 anterior the other posterior, surmounted by a 

 slender style with truncate stigmatiferous apex. 

 In the inner angle of each cell is a placenta sup- 

 porting a descendent anatropous ovule with 

 exterior and superior micropyle.^ The fruit is a 

 Fig.i03.Gyii£eceuin(f).l'i-locular capsule, compressed, loculicidal, then 

 septicidal. The seeds contain under their coats a 

 fleshy albumen surrounding a small axile embryo with superior 

 radicle. The only Platytheca known is a delicate shrub, a native 

 of Australia, as are all the species of this family. Its leaves are 

 verticillate ^ and linear; the flowers* are axillary solitary and 

 pedunculate. 



The true Tremandras ^ of which two species ® are known, are but 

 slightly distinct from Platytheca ; their stamens, the anthers of 

 which are said to be articulate at the summit of a tenuous filament, 

 with only two cells, are separated from each other by five 

 oppositipetalous glands of a disk within which are inserted the 

 stamens alternate to the sepals. The seed is provided on a level 

 with the chalaza with a fleshy appendage in the shape of a curved 

 horn spirally rolled,^ and the ovary cells are generally biovulate. 

 — They are shrul)s covered with stellate hairs, with opposite dentate 

 membranous leaves. 



The Tetrathecas ^ have tetramerous or pentamerous rarely tri- 

 merous flowers.^ The androceumis diplostemonous; but the stamens, 



' They opea above to a narrow channel natvire aa those named strophioles, and is due to 



situated in the direction of the apical rostrum. the hypertrophia of the outer coat here taking 



- With double coat. tlie same form as in some Ochnacece and the 



' Generally eight in number. Below, the N"ew Caledonian Tiliacece of the genus Triscus- 



axis which supports them presents a circular pidaria. 



crenulate ring. * Sm. Nov.-Soll. i.' t. 2 ; Sxof. Hot. i. 37, t. 



* Violet pretty large. 20-22.— J. M4m. Mus. i. 387.— Tuhp. in Dia. 



5E. Be. in Fiind. Voy. App. ii. 544.— DO. Sc. iVai. Atl. t. 175.— DC. Pro*-, i. 343.— Endl. 



Pro*-, i. 344.— Endl. &ei). n. 5645.— B. H. ffm. u. 5644.— Lindl. 7^«^. .ffiwyrf. 374, fig. 260. 



<?««. 134, 11. 3.— H. Bn. inPay«)-Pam. ffffi*. 308. —Pater, Organog. 137, t. 30. — B. H. Gm. 



6 Benth. j5V. Austral, i. 136. — Walp. Ann. 134, n. 1. — H. Bn. in Payer Fam. Nat. 308. 

 vii, 242. ' Eose coloured or purple. 



7 It is an ariUate production of the same 



