XIV. VELLOSIE^. 



793 



XIV. VELLOSIEyE, Don. 



Barhacenm puiyurea. Flower, 



Barbacenia. Flower cut vertically. 



Barlaeenia. Fruit. 



Perennial plants. Stem woody below, 

 dichotomously branched, clothed with the 

 leaf-bases, which are agglutinated by a resin- 

 ous viscous juice. Leaves collected at the top 

 of the stem and braiiches, grass-like, spines- 

 cent or very stiff. Pbkianth superior, peta- 

 loid, 6-partite, 2-seriate, regular. Stamens 

 inserted at the base of the perianth, either 

 6 free, or indefinite and united into several 

 bundles, naked or with a scale at their base {Vellpsia) ; filaments filiform, or plane 

 and 2-fid at the top ; anthers linear, dorsi- or basi-fixed, 2-celled, introrse. Ovaet 

 inferior, 3-ceIled; ovules numerous, horizontal, anatropous or semi-anatropous. 

 Capsttle opening at the top into 3 incomplete loculicidal semi-placentiferous 

 valves. Seeds numerous, euneate or angular ; testa coriaceous or suberose ; albumen 

 fleshy. Embeto minute, placed laterally and outside the albumen. 



Barlaeenia. Diagram. 



Barbacenia. 



Vertical section 



of seed 



(mag.). 



GENEEA. 



Vellosia. 



Barbacenia. 



Vellosiets are closely allied to Bromeliacece in the perianth, style, ovary, fruit, and embryo and in the 

 leaves crowning the top of the stem ; Bromeliaceai are separated by their exterior calycoid perianth and 

 farinaceous albumen. Vellosiece also approach Hamodorncece, from which they only differ in the number 

 of stamens, sometimes indefinite, the 3-gonous and 3-partite style, the usually arborescent stem, clothed 

 with the persistent leaf-bases, and leafy at the top [and the situation of the embryo]. They abound 

 in Brazil, and are exceptionally met with in Madagascar, Arabia, and Abyssinia. 



