SAPINDAOEJE. 425 



VI. MELIANTHEJE. 



69. Melianthus T. — Flowers hermaphrodite irregular ; receptacle 

 very unequally concave, posteriorly produced to a spur. Sepals 5, 

 very unequal ; the posterior least of all, inserted far from the rest ; 

 praefloration imbricate. Petals 5 or 4 (the anterior 1, small or defi- 

 cient), suBperigynously inserted at margin of receptacle, long-clawed 

 narrow rather fleshy and oftener toraentose, near anthesis not con- 

 tiguous. Stamens 4 (the fifth posterior deficient), 2-dynamous ; 

 filaments interior to disk lining the cavity of the receptacle and pos- 

 teriorly produced to a 2 -plicate crest, declinate ; 2 anterior, finally 

 shorter; the posterior sometimes connate at base by means of a 

 transverse band; anthers introrse, 2-rimose. Germen oblong, 4- 

 lobed ; cells 4, of which 2 are lateral ; style central incurved, stig- 

 matose at apex, shortly 4-dentate. Ovules in each cell 2-4, in- 

 serted in 2 series in the internal angle ascendent; micropyle ex- 

 trorsely inferior. Capsule papyraceous, 4-lobed ; cells 4, by abortion 

 1-spermous, dehiscing inwardly at apex ; seeds subglobose exaril- 

 late ; testa nitid crustaeeous ; albumen copious fleshy or horny ; 

 cotyledons of small (green) embryo ovately linear; radicle obtuse 

 incrassate at apex. — Glabrous shrubs, glaucous or canescent (strong 

 scented) ; leaves alternate imparipinnate ; leaflets decurrent unequi- 

 lateral dentate; stipules lateral or intra-axillary, free {Diplerisma) 

 or connate; flowers in axUlary or terminal racemes, bracteate; 

 pedicels short bracteolate. {South Jfrica.) See p. 369. 



70. Bersama FRESEiir.' — Mowers irregular hermaphrodite or poly- 

 gamo-dioecious ; sepals 5, unequal ; the 3 superior subfree or con- 

 nate at base, imbricate ; the 2 anterior much more or nearly quite 

 connate,^ valvate. Petals 5, alternate, imbricate, subequal or un- 

 equal^; the anterior larger; claws bare or incrassately glandulose 

 within to apex. Stamens 4, 5, alternipetalous, interior to semilunar 

 posterior or sub-complete disk; filaments all (^wJersama *) at base 

 1-adelphous, or the anterior ovUlj {Natalia^) connate; anthers introrse. 



1 Mua. SenJcenb. ii. 280, t. 17.— Eiiijl. Gen. n. flg. 24-28. 



4572 {Ampelid. Dub.).—B. H. Gen. ill, n. 70. ' Hochst. Flm-a (1841), 663.— Pl. he. cit. 



2 " Lacinia antica apice 2-fida" (Endl.). fig.21-23j Sook.Icon. t.780. — Uhayaiius E. Mey, 

 ' Thick, sericeous, white. Herb. Drige. 



* Bersama Pl. Trans. Linn. Soc. xx. 417, t. 20, 



VOL. V. 3 I 



