UMBULLIFEB^. 



167 



the leaves are simple, palmatifid or compound-digitate, and the 

 styles are either united to a small extent or free to the base. The 

 albumen is often, but not constantly, ruminate. 



Gurtisia faginea (fig. 213-217), a small tree from the Cape, 

 ordinarily referred to the family of the Goriiacece, differs in habit and 



Ctirtisia faginea. 



Fig. 216. Fruit (f). Fig. 213. Flower (f). 



Fig. 215. Long. sect, 

 of flower. 



Fig. 217. Trans. 

 sect, of fruit. 



foliage from Hedera, but has its flower, constructed on the type 4. 

 Its obconical receptacle lodges in its cavity the inferior ovary with 

 four oppositipetalous cells, and bears on its margin four small sepals, 

 four petals normally valvate and four stamens. The conical summit 

 of the ovary is covered by a coloured glandular disk enclosing the 

 base of the style which is erect and divided only at the summit 

 into four small stigmatiferous lobes. In the 

 internal angle of each ovarian cell is a de- Cm-tisia faginea. 



scending ovule with micropyle superior and 

 exterior. The fruit is a small drupe with a 

 four-celled putamen and descending seeds; 

 the abundant albumen surrounds an elon- 

 gate embryo. Gurtisia has opposite, per- 

 sistent, oval-oblong, penninerved, dentate Fig. 214. Diagram, 

 coriaceous leaves, pubescent beneath, and its 



flowers are in a terminal ramifled cluster, charged with biparous 

 cymes, with articulate pedicels. 



The Merytas (fig. 218, 219) are also anomalous Araliem, but from 

 another point of view : they have dioecious flowers. The males (fig. 

 218), as well as the females, have a simple perianth formed of a 

 variable number of valvate petals. The stamens are fertile and 

 alternate with the parts of the perianth. They are inserted on a 

 little-developed obconical receptacle and have no gynascium. The 

 petals of the females are equally variable in number and surmount 



