724 



CCXIV SANTALACE^. 



Myoschyi 

 Flower seen from the back 

 (mag.). 



Thesium wUi'medium. 



Thesium. 



Fruit cut Terbically 



(mag.). 



Thesium. 



Placenta bearing 3 ovules, 



of whicli one produces the 



embryonic sac. 



narrow, frequently short and squamose, rarelj petioled ; 

 stipules 0. Inflobescenoe terminal wlien the leaves are 

 opposite, usually indefinite when the leaves are alter- 

 nate, and then flowers in a spike or head, or in small 

 extra-axillary cymes with the peduncle united with the 

 floral leaf, or sometimes solitary. Flovtees 5 or polygamous or diclinous, white 

 green dirty yellow or red, often minute ; iracteoles usually 2, lateral, situated within 

 the bract or the floral leaf accompanying the solitary flower, or the lateral flowers 

 of the cyme ; pedicels 0, or short, and continuous with the perianth. Perianth 

 single, tube often merging into the receptacular cup (calycode), Avhich is often 

 prolonged beyond the ovary; limh 6-4-3-lobed, valvate in sestivation, lobes 

 caducous or persistent, often bearded in the centre of the inner surface. Stamens 

 opposite to the perianth-lobes, and inserted at their base or in the middle; 

 filaments short ; anthers basi- or dorsi-fixed, introrse, 2-celled, dehiscence longi- 

 tudinal, sometimes 4-locellate and opening above by a large orifice {Choretrum). 

 Disk epigynous, often apparent, sometimes dilating into a lobed plate, the lobes 

 alternate with the stamens. Ovakt inferior, 1-celled, or free when young, and 

 finally united with the receptacular cup or calycode (Santalum), sometimes adherent 

 by the base only to the receptacular cup (Anthoholus) ; style included, entire, 2-3-4-5- 

 lobed, lobes alternate or opposite to the stamens; placenta basal, central, erect, 

 cylindric ; ovules 2-3-5, pendulous from the top of the placenta, naked, i.e. without 

 coats; embryonic sac protruding from the nucleus, recurved, developing the embryo 

 and albumen outside the nucleus. Feuit a nut, rarely a berry, indehiscent, epicarp 

 thin, mesocarp usually hardened ; endocarp pulpy when young, then drying, separa- 



