312 NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



Chapeliera, a glabrous shrub of Madagascar, has also nearly the 

 flowers of a Genipa, in small supra-axillary cymes, with a calyx of 

 five rigid acuminate divisions, a contorted tubular corolla, five 

 dorsifixed anthers and a two-celled ovary surmounted by a fusiform 

 style with two stigmatiferous branches. On the placenta, in the 

 form of a horse-shoe, are inserted the ovules generally few in number. 

 The fruit is a berry surmounted by a calyx, and the albuminous 

 seeds are remarkable for a resisting envelope which easily divides into 

 thick and sinuous fibrous threads. The American genus Posoqueria 

 closely approaches the Genipas with elongate corollas. Its own 

 has a very long tube ; but the imbricate limb is oblique at the summit 

 of the tube and becomes gibbous, therefore, in the bud. The anthers 

 are exserted and the stigmatiferous extremity of the style is bifid. 

 The flowers are in terminal corymbiform cymes. The extended form 

 of the corolla becomes more manifest still in most species of 

 Oxyanthus, woody plants from tropical Africa, the corymbiform cymes 

 of which are axillary ; the tube of the corolla is very slender and 

 elongate, and the limb contorted. The calyx is dentate, and the two 

 multiovulate cells of the ovary are complete or incomplete as in 

 Genipa from which Oxyanthus dififers little and has the fleshy fruit 

 and seeds with coriaceous and fibrous external coat. 



Though ordinarily placed in another group, Kotchubea (fig. 302) 

 appears to closely approach the preceding types. Unfortunately its 

 female flowers are unknown and the fruit which succeeds them is 

 known only as a drupe with some monospermous putamens surmounted 

 by a persistent calyx. In the male flower, the receptacle, obconical 

 and flat, is surmounted by an entire tubular calyx and a long 

 gamopetalous corolla, and the coriaceous tube by a limb with eight 

 pointed and contorted lobes. The stamens are represented by as 

 many elongate subsessile introrse bilocular and enclosed anthers. In 

 the centre of the flower is a style with two oblong divisions, and its 

 base is surrounded by a depressed circular disk. Kotchuhea insignis 

 is a fine glabrous tree of Guyana with opposite oblong leaves, connate* 

 intrapetiolar stipules, and male flowers united in compound cymes of 

 three-flowered cymules. 



te referred as a seotioa to the genus Amaioua. (fig. 302), of which the male flowers only are 



J. Hooker says of it : " it presents a form known, hut the fruit (which we have not seen) 



allied indeed to Alibertia hut very distinct." is indicated as globular, fleshy, and hecoming 



ft has perhaps affinitips also lyitl} Kotchubea ribbed by the process of desiccation. 



