302 WILLIS : MORPHOLOGY OF THE PODOSTEMACEÆ 
Mr Barber describes in his notes as giving the impression 
that the rock itself was covered with flowers. Several such 
shoots are shown in PL XXXVIII. (right-hand rock), but are 
difficult to distinguish. 
The flower stands on a short pedicel, which lengthens 
rapidly during and after anthesis. The structure of this 
pedicel is interesting, and it will save repetition to describe it 
here, as the same features occur in most of the subsequent 
species to be described. At the time when the flower opens 
the pedicel is short and stout, and shows the central vascular 
strand quite clearly through the pellucid cortical tissue. As 
seen in section (PI. VIII., fig. 1) it has an epidermis, thin 
walled cortex, and a central vascular strand with more or 
less pith cavity in the middle. After flowering the pedicel 
lengthens, and at the same time the small-celled tissue 
surrounding the vascular tissue becomes thick walled and 
lignified (PI. VIII., fig. 8, lig.), the vascular bundle itself 
remaining as before. Finally, when the fruit is nearly ripe, 
the outer cortex falls away altogether (fig. 9), leaving the 
fruit standing on a long filamentous stalk, which is very 
much thinner than the original stalk of the flower. The 
vascular bundle itself is shown in PI. IX., fig. 1. In the middle 
is the intercellular space, with several annular vessels in 
it (somewhat as in Maize), and round this is some phloem- 
like tissue and the outer fibrous band, which ends off sharply 
against the parenchymatous cortex. 
The flower itself is simple (PL VIII., fig. 6), and requires 
only a brief description. The perianth is membranous, 
united to about | of its height, and finally marcescent. There 
are three stamens alternating with the segments of the 
perianth, with long flexible filaments and large anthers with 
loose powdery pollen. The ovary is superior, with three loculi 
and three long hairy stigmas. The flower is anemophilous, 
and probably largely self -pollinated ; most of the flowers 
seem to set a full complement of seed. In transverse section 
the ovary wall and structure are like those of Lawia, with 
