6 NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 
a variable prefloration. Thus in C. glabra,’ they are valvate, or 
may even not touch at all by their edges in the very young bud 
(fig. 11). In other species, such as C. ferruginea, they are narrowly 
. imbricated, or more rarely contorted. The androceum consists of 
ten stamens, five superposed to the sepals, and five, smaller, to the 
petals; for a short distance they are all united by the base of their 
filaments, which then become free, and bear an introrse two-celled 
anther dehiscing longitudinally.* On the expansion of the flower 
Cnestis glabra. 
Fig. 9. 
Flower. 
Fre. 11. 
Diagram. 
Fie. 10. 
Longitudinal section of flower. 
the much elongated apex of the filament is reflexed outwards, 
inverting the anther so as to make it extrorse. The gyneceum 
consists of five oppositipetalous carpels, whose ovaries are sessile, 
each surmounted by a usually short style, truncate or more or less 
dilated and stigmatiferous at the apex. Jn each ovary we find two 
collateral ascending orthotropous or suborthotropous ovules, inserted 
towards the base of the ovary; their micropyles are superior. The 
calyx may or may not be persistent, often reflexed around the fruit, 
but it is never accrescent ; the fruit consists of one or more sessile 
follicles, often tapering at the base, covered with velvety down, and 
lined by long, rigid, stinging hairs.* They contain an erect seed, 
1 Lamx., Dict., loc. cit., u. 1; Ill, t. 387, 
fig. 1—DC., Prodr., n. 1.—Sarmienta cauli- 
flora Stzz., Fl. Maur. Exs., p. ii. u. 285. 
2 DC., Prodr., ii. 87, n. 3.—C. fraterna 
Pr., loc. cit., 440.— Spondioides ferruginea 
SmrEaTHM.,, herb. 
3-In certain species such as C. ferruginea 
DC., each anther-cell is prolonged downwards 
into a sort of point which is turned up when the 
anther is reversed so as to be extrorse. 
4 The hairs have two different seats in the 
fruit of Cnestis. One kind of hair (only found 
in certain species) is found on the exterior 
epidermis of the pericarp. The hairs are 
greatly developed in C. corniculata Lamx., 
where they are stinging, which fact accounts for 
the name Agelea pruriens, given to that species 
by SozanpER. Under a sufficient magnifying 
power they appear simple, unicellular, and taper- 
ing to a long point. Around the base are seen 
a large number of younger hairs, projecting but 
slightly, though similar in form; besides pro- 
minent conical obovate or clavate nucleated cells 
containing a coloured fluid. On the whole of 
the inner surface of the pericarp all the species 
possess similar pointed unicellular hairs in great 
abundance and closely pressed together ; in some 
pericarps they may be counted by thousands. 
These also sting, we are told, in the fresh state. 
This property has given the names of Grattelier 
