182 NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 
the edge of the disk (fig. 122), and a versatile introrse two-celled 
anther of longitudinal dehiscence. The gyneceum, represented in 
the male flower by a little conical projection from the central 
depression of the disk, in the hermaphrodite and female flowers 
consists of a stipitate ovary, tapering into a style which dilates at 
the apex into a large stigmatiferous head notched on one side by 
the longitudinal groove traversing the whole length of the placentary 
edge of the gyneceum. The placenta, alternating with two sepals, 
bears an indefinite number of transverse or slightly descending 
Ceratonia Siliqua. 
Fie. 121, 
Hermaphrodite flower (2). 
Fie. 122. 
Longitudinal section of hermaphrodite flower. 
anatropous ovules, with their micropyles upwards and outwards.’ 
The fruit is a sort of elongated pod, straight or bowed, compressed, 
with thickened sutures. The walls are drupaceous and indehiscent ; 
the thin smooth epicarp covers a coriaceous mesocarp, more or less 
gorged with a sweet pulp; and the thin dry parchment-like endocarp 
projects to form oblique or transverse false dissepiments between the 
seeds. These are unequally obovate and compressed, attached by 
long funicles ;* within the thick seed-coats is an abundant horny 
albumen, in the centre of which is a greenish embryo with flattened 
cotyledons and a straight exserted radicle.* C. Siliqua’ is the only 
known species of the genus; it is a tree from the Mediterranean, 
whose persistent paripinnate leaves have few coriaceous leaflets and 
1 This anther, like that of the large anterior 
stamen of Moldenhauera (fig. 111), is in form 
exceptional among Cassiee, but this character of 
itself can have no great value. 
2 They have two coats, and the rim of the 
exostome is slightly thickened, like the circum- 
ference of the hilum, which at a certain age 
forms a well-marked collar around the funicle. 
3 The funicle is dilated a little before joining 
the hilum. 
4 The cotyledons are more or less unsymme- 
trical and auriculate at the base. The radicle is 
often dilated towards the apex. 
5 L., Spec. 1513.—Duuam., Arbr., ii. t. 70. 
—Car., Icon,, t. 1138.—Buackw., Herb., t. 209. 
—Fasano, in Act. Neapol. (1787), 248, t. 18, 
fig. 2.—Nuzzs, Plant. Off, iv. t. 19.—Keronia 
THEOPHR,.— Keration Diosc.—Siliqua Matra. 
—Ficus Zgyptia THEOPH. (ex ADANS.). 
