28 



NATURAL SISTOBY OF -PLANTS. 



Axinandra [Naxiandra) coriacea. 



Fig. 43. Long. sect, of flower. 



resembling those of Mouriri. In the species from Borneo, which we 

 have placed in a disbinct section under the name of Naxiandra,' the 



ovarian cells enclose each two collateral 

 ascending ovules, inserted at the base of 

 the internal angle, with micropyle mferior 

 and exterior, and the valvate-indupHca,te 

 petals envelop not only by their fringed 

 margin, but also by their incurved summit, 

 the superposed stamen, the anther of 

 which is similar to that of the preceding 

 genera with cells dehiscing by two longi- 

 tudinal clefts. In the species from Ceylon 

 on which the genus was founded, the 

 petals are shorter and contorted, and each 

 of the' ovarian cells encloses only one 

 ascending ovule. The fruit is ligneous 

 or coriaceous, semi-superior, and the as- 

 cending seeds it contains are furnished superiorly with a vertical wing. 

 We already know four Axinandras, trees of tropical Asia, with 



tetragonal branches, the 

 angles of which are pro- 

 longed in false stipules at 

 the level of the opposite 

 leaves, and the small flowers 

 are united at the top of the 

 branches in more or less 

 compound clusters. 



Memecylon^ (fig. 44, 45), 

 which has been raised to 

 the rank of a tribe, and 

 even of a sub-order and 

 family, may be defined as 

 Mouriri with the inferior 

 ovary always one-celled, and whose tetramerous flowers have eight 

 stamens with slender filaments exserted, and short dolabriform 



Memeoylon laurinum. 



Fig. 44. Flower (f). Fig. 45. Long. sect, of flower. 



H. Bn. Adansonia, xii. 85. 



Naud. loc. eit. xviii. 264. — H. Bn. Fayer Fam. 



