402 NATUBAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



axillary compound-cymose ; pedicels slender, ebracteolate ; the 

 fructiferous bare. {Canary Isles, Madeira.'^) 



25. Opercularia G^rtn.^ — Flowers hermaphrodite or polyga- 

 mous, spuriously capitate; calyx 3-6-merous, persistent.. Corolla 

 rather long tubular ; lobes of patent limb 3-6, valvate; throat glabrous. 

 Stamens same in number (more rarely 1-3), inserted at bottom of 

 tube; filaments slender exserted; anthers introrse, dorsifixed above 

 base. Germen inferior (adnata within concave receptacle) ; style 

 branches 1 , or oftener 2, generally free from base, exserfed, papillose- 

 hirsute. Ovule 1, suberect anatropous ; micropyle extrorsely inferior. 

 Fruit compound (" syncarpous "), generally augmented by persistent 

 calyx, consisting of oo , or more rarely 2, 3 {Pomax *) capsules ; each 

 finally 2-valvate ; exterior valves connate in persistent cupule ; interior 

 in a spurious obconical deciduous operculum. Seeds oblong, smooth 

 or rugose, piano- or concavo-convex ; coat thin ; cotyledons of richly 

 and densely albuminous embryo superior foliaceous. — Undershrubs or 

 herbs, rarely twining, glabrous or pilose (generally foetid) ; leaves 

 opposite ; stipules connate with leaves in an interpetiolar sheath ; 

 flowers* in spurious terminal or lateral capitules,' involucrate and 

 involucellate, stipitate or subsessile, sometimes ramose, many-flowered, 

 or more rarely 2, 3-flowered (Pomax). (Australia.^) 



26. Eleuthranthes F. Muell.' — Flowers of Opercularia, 4, 5- 

 merous, crowded, spuriously capitate ; germens (receptacles) free. 

 Lobes of calyx 4, 5, linear, equal or unequal, hirsute, subspathulate, 

 persistent. Corolla ^ thin funnel-shaped ; lobes 4, 5, valvate, ciliate, 

 revolute. Stamens inserted at base of corolla ; filaments long very 

 thin ; anthers ovately acute introrse, versatile. Germen inferior, 1- 

 celled, 1-ovulate (of 0^e?-cMZa?'m);*style branches 2, slender, exserted 



1 Spec. 1. p. Nohla L. Spec. 335.— Dill. Sort. Gen. n. 3096.— B. H. Gen. ii. 141, n. 309. 

 Elth. 405, t. 299, fig. 386.— "Webb, Phyt. Cmar. * Small, white or Tiolet. 



ii. 190. — P. pauciflora Rich. ° Consisting of simple or oftener compound 



2 Fruct. i. Ill, t. 24. — J. Ann. Mm. iv. 427, t. glomerules. 



70, 71.— Rich. Eub. 64, t. 3, fig. 2.— DO. Frodr. « Spec, about IS. Labill. PI. N.-Boll. t. 46- 



iv. 615. — TuKP. Diet. Sc. Nat. Atl. t. 102.— 48.— Benth. Fl. Austral, iii. 432, 436 [Pomax). 



Enbl. Gen. n. 3097.— B.H. Gen. ii. 141, n. 308. ~F. Mdell. Fragm. ix. 187 {Pomax).— Roots.. 



— Mubioides Soland. (ex ft^ffiRTN.). — Crypto- v. Fl. Tasm. 166, t. 38. — Walp. iZep. ii. 454; 



spermum Young, Trans. Linn. Sac. iii. 30, t. 6. vi. 8. 



3 Soland. ex Gjbrtn. op. cit. 112, t. 24.— J. 1 Fragm. iv. 92.— Berth. Fl. Austral. m.iS7. 

 Mim. Mus. iv. 426.— Lamk. III. t. 68.— Rich, — B. H. Gen. ii. 142, n. 310. 



Sub. 65, t. 3, fig. 1.— DC. Prcdr. iv. 6 16.— Endl. > Nearly of Spermaeoce. 



