CORN ACE ^. 



67 



dentiform, not contiguous even in the bud. The petals are the same 

 in number, alternate, much longer and valvate ; they are generally 

 reflexed at the time of anthesis. With them alternate four epigynous 



Corniis mas. 



Fig. SO. Fruit. Fig. 47. Inflorescence. 



Fig. 49. Long. sect, 

 of flower (f). 



Fig. 51. Trans, 

 sect, of fruit. 



stamens, each formed of a free filament and an introrse, bilocular 

 anther, dehiscing by two longitudinal clefts.^ The inferior ovary is 

 surmounted by a style, the base of which is surrounded by an epigy- 

 nous disk, often thick, entire, or more or 

 less lobed. The stigmatiferous summit of '^''™«» »«»'• 



the style is truncate or capitate, entire or • 



nearly so. The ovary contains two, some- 

 times three, altemipetalous " cells. In the 

 internal angle of each is a placenta sup- 

 porting a descending, anatropous ovule 

 with micropyle primarily directed upwards 

 and inwards.' The fruit is a drupe, the 

 summit of which bears the scar of the 

 perianth. The putamen, hard and thick,* Fig. 48. Diagram. 



is of two (rarely three) cells, enclosing 



each a descending seed, the coats ^ covering a fleshy albumen and an 

 axile embryo, with superior cylindrical radicle and foliaceous coty- 



DC. Prodr. iv. 271. — Spach, Suit, d, Buffon,ym. 

 90.— -TuRP. Diet. Sc. Nat. Atl. t. 103.— Endl. 

 Gen. n. 4574.— Payer, Organog. 418, t. 86.— B. 

 H. Gen. 950, n. 6. — H. Bn. Foyer Fam. Nat. 

 340. 



■ The pollen, according to H. Mohl {Ann. Sc. 

 Nat. ser. 2, iii. 325), is "ovoid; 3 folds; in 

 water, ovoid ; 3 narrow bands ; external mem- 

 brane finely punctuated. 



F 



2 dne anterior, the other posterior. 



' It generally undergoes a torsion which 

 finally brings the micropyle on the side. It 

 has a simple and very incomplete coat. 



* Indented with very numerous and often un- 

 eg^ual hollows filled with oil, 



' Thin membranous and formed perhaps, 

 according to their mode of organization, in the 

 same manner as those of the VmheUifera. 



