Contributions towards a Flora of Ceylon. 493 



filaments filiform, the sterile and fertile united in pairs at the 

 base by a thin membrane : Anthers subreniform, 1 -celled, cohering, 

 glabrous. Hypogynous disk formed of five distinct, emarginate, 

 yellow glands. Ovary free, ovate, oblong, obtuse, pubescent, 1 -cel- 

 led, with two parietal placentae reaching half way up the walls, but 

 free and ovuliferous at their apices. Style filiform, glabrous, persis- 

 tent. Stigma capitate. Capsule ovate, 1 -celled, with an irregular 

 circumcissal dehiscence. Seeds numerous, oblong, attached to the 

 free apices of the placentae by the long slender umbilical cords ; testa 

 brown, beautifully spirally striated. 



Obser. I. — Although the lower leaf of this species is 

 generally solitary, I have met with several specimens in 

 which it was opposed by another smaller one. In one flower 

 which came under my examination, one of the barren fila- 

 ments was changed into a petaloid organ of the same colour 

 as the limb of the corolla. The walls of the capsule are very 

 thin and membranous, and the dehiscence takes place a 

 little above the middle. The placentae are truly pedicellate, 

 but the pedicels adhere to the parieties to about their mid- 

 dle, the upper part only being free and seminiferous, the 

 seeds being attached to it by long slender umbilical cords, 

 some of which are erect, others pendulous. The seeds are 

 beautiful objects under the microscope, resembling very 

 much the nucules of the genus Chara, being elegantly spi- 

 rally striated. This species is distinguished from F. Bru- 

 nonis, Decaisn., which it resembles in habit, by its larger 

 size, sessile upper leaves, and much smaller flowers. 



Obser. II. — Altogether Epithema is a very anomalous 

 genus of the tribe to which it belongs, having several re- 

 markable peculiarities of structure ; such as the circumsis- 

 sal dehiscence of the capsule, and the posterior, not the an- 

 terior stamens being the fertile ones. This latter circum- 

 stance forms a link by which to connect Cyrtandreoe to Ges- 

 neriacea. 



