LAURACEA. 441: 
four trimerous verticils. The three innermost are reduced to sterile 
scales ; the nine others have flattened petaloid filaments' of variable 
breadth, and basifixed anthers whose two cells each dehisce by a valve 
Cassytha filiformis. 
Fra, 264, Fra. 268. Fra. 266. Fre. 267. Fra. 268. 
Flower (+). Long. section of flower. Diagram. Fruit (3). Long. sect. of fruit. 
which rises early. Three are superposed to the sepals ; of these the 
outermost are the largest; they have introrse anthers, like the next 
set which are oppositipetalous and inserted in the lower part of the 
petals themselves. The stamens of the third whorl are alternipeta- 
lous ; they possess extrorse anthers, and have two lateral glands at the 
base of the filament. The free gyneceum resembles that of Laurus ; 
the single anatropous descending ovule has its micropyle turned up- 
wards and inwards to the placenta, and is inserted a little below the 
top of the front of the ovary, towards the anterior petal. The fruit 
is an achene, with a thin pericarp, and contains a seed whose thick 
fleshy subglobular embryo is exalbuminous when adult.’ After an- 
thesis the receptacle continues growing in height and thickness, and 
so covers nearly the whole of the fruit with a continuous fleshy layer 
or indusium,surmounted bythe remains of the perianth and androceum. 
Cassytha consists of herbs from hot countries, whose slender cylin- 
drical stems, like those of our Dodders (Cuscuta) fix on by suckers to 
the adjacent plants whereon they are parasite. Accordingly they 
have no leaves, or only rudiments thereof, represented by scales or 
little bracts. The flowers form capitula, spikes, or more rarely 
racemes. Each flower is axillary to a bract and accompanied by two 
lateral bractlets. The upper or inner flowers of the inflorescence are 
1 The filament has two lateral dilatations of the innermost fertile stamens ; they project 
forming lateral auricles. It is in the notch backwards towards the perianth. 
below these that are lodged the lateral glands ? The albumen long persists in abundance in 
the unripe seed. 
