50 The Genus Azima. 



6tout, shorter than the petals. Anthers ovate, free, introrse, de- 

 hiscing longitudinally, connective, shortly produced, apiculate, incur- 

 ved. Ovary abortive, conical acute. Female Flowers : Calyx 

 irregularly 2-4-cleft. Corolla as in the male. Stamens 4, rudimen- 

 tary, alternating with the petals. Ovary hypogynous, equalling the 

 petals in length, turgid, glabrous, 2-celled, with a single erect ovate 

 in each cell. Style none. Stigma sessile, peltate, pappilose, ob- 

 scurely 2-lobed. Fruit a globose white berry (not unlike a large 

 currant), 2-celled, or rarely by abortion 1 -celled, when 2-celled with 

 the septum nearly evanescent, cells 1 -seeded. Seeds erect, orbic- 

 clar, plano-convex : testa coriaceous, brown somewhat rugose : Al- 

 bumen none. Embryo green lenticular. Cotyledons fleshy, cor- 

 date-auriculate at the base, the lobes over-lapping and concealing 

 the elongated straight radicle. 



Lamarck makes no further mention of the natural affinity 

 of Azima, than merely observing that " II semble avoir des 

 rapports avec le Pisonia t par son port ; mais la fructifica- 

 tion Yen eloigue un peu." Jassieu observes that judg- 

 ing from Lamarck's description, it approaches Strychnos 

 or Carissa, but differs by being polypetalous. Bartling 

 puts it at the end of Apocynece, along with some other 

 genera with whose true affinities he was equally unacquainted. 

 Lindley takes no notice of it in the first edition of his ' Intro- 

 duction to the Natural System,' but in the second, places 

 it doubtfully among his Aquijoliacece. Mr. G. Don follows 

 Bartling in considering it an imperfectly-known genus otApo- 

 cynea. Harvey, in his c Genera of South African Plants/ 

 gives an original character, drawn up from Cape specimens, 

 and puts it in the Appendix with the following observation : — 

 "This genus has been referred to Apocynece ; I cannot agree 

 with the justness of the reference, but am unable to say with 

 what order it should be associated." Meisner adopts 

 Lindley's view, adding the following remarks : " Spina? ad 

 foliorum insertionem potius laterales quam axillares esse et 



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